The New Bohemian
by TangoAida
Summary: AU: When Mary decides to take a trip to New York to apply for a job at NYU, she runs into 7 Bohemian friends. Told from Mary's POV. Now Complete!
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer – I own nothing of RENT – it belongs to the wonderful Jonathon Larson (RIP). I can say that I own my original characters.

A/N: I don't know how this story idea came to me, but it just hit me like a sack of sawdust.

**_Italics _**are flashbacks, memories, songs and thoughts.

Summary – AU: When Mary decides to take a trip to New York to apply for a job at NYC, she runs into 7 Bohemian friends. Told from Mary's POV.

Rating – T

Genre – Romance/Drama

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**The New Bohemian**  
By TangoAida

CHAPTER ONE  
(chapter title – Prologue)

_Well, here I go_ I thought to myself as I drove out of my apartment in Virginia and headed for New York. I know it wouldn't take me very long to get there, but I had packed everything I owned into a small rental van that was being driven by my older brother, Erick. I popped in a CD and sang along with it as I drove. I checked the rearview mirror once in a while just to make sure that Erick hadn't gotten lost or anything like that. I suppose I should tell you a little bit about myself – my name is Mary Marie Sheppard and I'm twenty years old. I'm a little over six foot and I have green-gray eyes and shoulder length brown hair. Also, I'm very skinny and athletic – I was on the equestrian, tennis, gymnastics, swimming and track teams throughout middle and high school. I didn't do any clubs because I really didn't fit in with any of the clubs that were available at the middle or high schools. 

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Two hours later, Erick and I reach the apartment complex where I would be staying for the rest of my life – or if I decided to move again, whichever came first. Together, the two of us carried up three flights of stairs all of my belongings. Two blond haired men poked their heads out at us as we walked by with my belongings. I thought the man with the spiky blond hair and glasses was really cute – I've always had a thing about guys with spiky blond hair and glasses.

"Mary, c'mon!" Erick shouted from the bottom of the stairs, startling me out of my wits. I recovered and went to help him carry up the last box of my clothes. I was coming up the stairs when the man with the short, spiky blond hair and glasses stopped me in my tracks. He was wearing a red sweatshirt and pair of faded blue jeans. On his feet, he wore a pair of old tennis shoes.

"Hi." He greeted me. I smiled shyly and continued up the stairs.

"Need any help?" he inquired, taking the box from me without waiting for a response from me. _Sure _I thought to myself, leading the way to my new apartment.

"Just set it down anywhere and I'll take care of it." I told him.

"Okay. I'm Mark – Mark Cohen." He introduced himself.

"I'm Mary – Mary Sheppard." I told him. Mark smiled and excused himself. That was my cue to say goodbye to Erick. I knew I wouldn't be seeing him for a long time to come.

Making my way down the stairs, I heard Mark call my name. Turning around, I saw Mark with the man with the long, blond hair following him.

"Mary – this is Roger, my roommate." Mark introduced us. I smiled at Roger and Roger just looked down at the floor.

"Nice to meet you, Roger." I said, my voice motherly.

"You, too." He mumbled. I giggled and excused myself so that I could say goodbye to my favorite brother. He was waiting for me when I went to the lobby of the apartment building.

"Hey." I greeted him, walking up next to him.

"Hey." He echoed.

"I'm gonna miss you, you know that, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Don't worry about me, Mary. I'll be fine." His voice was starting to crack. I hadn't seen him cry since our dad died last year of lung cancer. I pulled him into a hug and whispered 'I love you' in his ear. He smiled and kissed my cheek. He then went to the truck and drove away in the distance. I watched him leave before I walked back up to my apartment.

I opened my door to the apartment and decided to turn on some music while I put my clothes away in my bedroom. I turned up the volume a bit and danced to the YMCA as I hung up my dresses and put up my bulletin board. Mark and Roger came in a few times, just to see how I was doing and if I needed anything. I shook my head and continued to put my stuff away.

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An hour later, there was a knock on my door. I let out a sigh and went to answer it. Standing before me was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen – she looked of Hispanic descent and had large chocolate brown eyes that made her look even more beautiful than she already was. She was wearing a sparkly leotard and an oversized black sweater. On her feet, she wore pink ballet slippers. Her long hair was pulled back with a black ribbon.

"Hi, I'm Mimi Marquez. Roger sent me up here to see if you wanted to go to the Life Café with a big group of us tonight for dinner." She said.

"Of course, I would love to come!" I told her, grabbing my jacket and closing my apartment door. I knew this was a start of a beautiful friendship.

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Mimi and I went to Roger and Mark's apartment to wait for their other friends – Joanne, Maureen, Angel and Collins. While we were waiting for them, the three of them decided to ask questions about my past.

"What's your full name?" Roger asked.

"Mary Marie Sheppard." I told him.

"When's your birthday?" Mark inquired.

"July 17th, 1985." I answered.

"How old are you?" Mimi questioned.

"Twenty."

"Do you have any siblings?" Roger asked.

"A brother – Erick. He's thirty-three." I answered.

"Where are you from?" Mark inquired.

"Richmond, Virginia." I answered.

"What brings you to the East Village?" Mimi inquired.

"I'm hoping to get a job writing. I live to write – it's what I do." I told her.

"What do you like to do when you're not writing?" Roger asked.

"I love horseback riding, listening to music, dancing, shopping, watching movies, eating out, going to movies, reading, gymnastics, running, swimming and playing tennis." I answered.

"What sports were you involved with in school?" this was a new voice. I turned around and saw four people coming in the door. Two of them were black – a man and a woman, one was albino and one was white. It was the black man that had asked me the question.

"I was involved in the equestrian, tennis, gymnastics, swimming and track teams in middle and high school." I answered.

"Did you have your own horse?" the albino asked. I nodded and smiled.

"She was really beautiful – chestnut with one white stocking on her left back leg and a bald face. Her name was Pyrate's Gold Forever – but I just called her Pye. She was a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse cross, so she was stockier in the back end, but had long legs for running." I said, smiling. But that smile suddenly faded.

"What happened to your horse?" the black woman asked.

"We had to sell her when I was a freshman in high school. We lost a lot of money after my dad died of lung cancer…" I felt tears in my eyes as that memory flashed before my eyes. I chewed on my bottom lip to keep from crying. Everything was silent until Mark spoke up.

"Mary – this is Joanne, Angel, Collins and Maureen. Guys, this is Mary. She just moved here from Virginia." Mark introduced us. I smiled and wiped the tears from my eyes. The four of them greeted me and asked me more questions about myself – what my favorite food was (Italian), my favorite book (_Les Miserables _by Victor Hugo), what my favorite movie was (Beauty and the Beast), what my biggest fear was (heights), what my favorite animal (horses, giraffes, otters or jaguars), what my favorite song was (Music of the Night from the musical, Phantom of the Opera), what my favorite color was (light blue) and what my favorite TV show was (Will & Grace). I knew the bunch of us would be the best of friends, no matter what happened between us.


	2. Walk With Mark

CHAPTER TWO  
(chapter title – Walk With Mark)

"Hey, Mary. Wanna go on a walk with me?" Mark asked me the next day. I was in the middle of putting up a poster covered in flowers.

"Sure. Where are we going?" I inquired as I brushed the sweat off of my forehead.

"The Food Emporium. We're out of paper towels, bananas and Captain Crunch." Mark told me, coming into the loft.

"Okay. Just let me jump in the shower really quick. Make yourself at home." I said, coming out of my bedroom and heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

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Twenty minutes later, Mark and I were on our way to the Food Emporium. As we walked, we talked about everything and nothing.

"Where did you grow up?" I asked him.

"Scarsdale. It's about a five hour drive from here." He answered, smiling.

"Any brothers or sisters?" I inquired.

"Yeah – a sister, Cindy." He told me, still smiling. We had reached the Food Emporium and stepped inside. Together, he and I shopped for Captain Crunch, paper towels and bananas.

"Don't mind me asking, but are you seeing anyone?" he asked as we made our way to the check out line.

"No, I'm not. I never had a boyfriend or a husband." I answered, looking down at the floor.

"Oh, Mary. I'm sorry." Mark apologized. I looked up and smiled slightly at him.

"It's okay. You didn't know." I told him, looking at the candy display. I didn't want him to see me crying.

"Well, we're all done here. I just need to go to the pharmacy and pick up Mimi and Roger's AZT. Wanna come?" Mark inquired as we stepped out of the Food Emporium.

"Sure." I answered, smiling.

"So, what do you want to know about us?" he asked.

I pondered for a minute before asking, "What are your guys' backgrounds?" Mark smiled.

"Well, as you know, I'm from Scarsdale. I moved here when I was twenty-two and roomed with Maureen, Benny and Collins. After Benny moved out, I met Roger at a bar downtown…" he then went on to tell me about April – Roger's old girlfriend. I couldn't think of Roger's reaction of finding April's body in the bathtub. Poor guy.

"…Then along came Angel, Mimi and Joanne. They're the ones that you met yesterday." Mark finished, startling me out of my thoughts. I smiled and waited for him outside the pharmacy. Just then, my cell phone started ringing. Sighing, I answered it and looked at the number – it was the loft.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Mary? It's Roger. I need you and Mark to come home now." Roger's voice sounded scared and sad at the same time.

"Why? What's wrong?" I inquired.

"Angel was just rushed to the hospital." He informed me. I drew in a sharp breath just as Mark exited the pharmacy. I mouthed _Roger _to him. He nodded and waited for me to finish my conversation.

"Okay, Rog. We'll be there soon." I told him, hanging up my phone. Taking one look at Mark, I buried my face in my hands and began to cry.

"Mary? What's wrong?" Mark asked, setting the prescriptions down so that he could hug me.

"A-Angel was just r-rushed to the hospital." I sobbed. He hugged me tighter as if he would never let me go.

"Did Rog say what hospital he's at?" Mark asked after a while. I slowly shook my head and hiccoughed a couple times. Mark pulled a water bottle out of his bag and handed it to me. I took a long sip and put the cover back on.

"Let's just go back to the loft." I told Mark, not really wanting to go to the hospital. I had only known Angel for a day and I didn't really want to see what condition she (or he) was in. I'm sure Mark and the others would understand.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? Angel would be so happy to see you…" I cut him off by shaking my head.

"Do you want Joanne or someone to stay with you?" he asked. I slowly shook my head as we entered the building. I fished my keys out of my purse, my hand trembling and my vision becoming blurry. Mark had to help me because I was shaking so much. I thanked him and walked into my apartment. As soon as he was out of hearing range, I let out a loud sob and ran to my room where I stayed for the rest of the day.

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Meanwhile at the hospital, Angel was getting worse. Collins was sitting on the side of her bed, cradling her, telling his beautiful drag queen that she would get better soon. Angel just let out a little cough and looked up at Collins, her soft brown eyes glazing over.

"C'mon baby. Ya gotta make it…" Collins sobbed.

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It was ten thirty that evening. I was watching an episode of The Golden Girls when I got the call that Angel had passed away. I cried and cried and cried, not knowing if I would ever stop.


	3. The Funeral

CHAPTER THREE  
(chapter title – The Funeral)

"What is there to say about Angel?" Joanne started. "She was the most kindest person I had ever met. Even though he was a drag queen, every one of us called him a 'her'. It felt weird sometimes, but that was okay with me. She's gonna be missed by everyone, I know that for sure." With that, she looked at Angel's coffin and went to sit back down. Roger stood up and walked up to the stage, hands in his pockets.

"Angel was one of my closest friends. I will never forget the first time I met her – it was Christmas Eve…" he then went on to say how Collins had brought her to the loft and she danced for them and gave them money. I smiled slightly as I pictured it in my head. As soon as Roger finished, I felt Mark get up from beside me and walk up to the stage.

"I don't know what to say without repeating what's already been said." Pause. "He…she, was always there for us, no matter what kind of trouble we were in. She loved to make new friends." He smiled at Collins and I. "And she designed her own clothes, which I found truly amazing." He looked at the coffin and sat down next to me. I listened to Mimi, Benny (they had invited him. I don't know the reason) and Maureen give their praises about Angel. Before I knew it, it was my turn. Sighing, I stood up and made my way to the stage, everyone's eyes on me.

"Hi, I'm Mary Sheppard and I wrote a poem for Angel, called _Angel_." I cleared my throat before speaking.

"A – Always there for us. N – Never frowning or crying. G – Gonna be missed a lot. E – Everyone's friend, no matter the circumstance. L – Loveable, laughter and lovely." I finished my poem and sat down next to Mark, but not before getting a hug from Collins. I hugged him back and sat back down next to Mark.

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After the funeral, Roger, Mark, Mimi, Maureen, Joanne and I headed back to the loft. Collins was going to stay behind so that he could talk with Benny and the funeral director about something.

"That was lovely." Maureen told me, putting an arm around my shoulders. I nodded and took Mark's hand in mine. He and I had gone on a couple dates – just to the movies and out to eat, nothing too big. He smiled at me and squeezed my hand a bit. Before long, I felt the sting of tears in my eyes and was crying like a baby a few minutes later. We stopped walking so that Mark could hug me and stroke my hair. Mimi had started crying, too, so Roger pulled her into a hug. Both Maureen and Joanne had started crying. I laugh/cried and pulled them into the hug that Mark and I were sharing.

"I'm gonna miss her so much." Mimi said through her sobs. Roger nodded and ran a hand up and down her back. I knew that Angel had been Mimi's best friend in the whole world. My best friend, Rose, had died in a fire when she was eight-years-old, so I knew what it felt like to lose someone so close to your heart.

"We all are, Meems." Joanne piped up, brushing the tears out of Maureen's face. Maureen smiled slightly and took Joanne's hand in hers. Together, the two of them walked away from us. I looked up at Mark to see tears in his eyes.

"It's okay to cry, Mark. You don't have to hide it." I told him, sounding exactly like my mom. She had died when Erick was twenty and I was ten. It wasn't easy for us to get over her death, but our dad was always there for us.

"I know, Mary…" he started, tears streaming down his face. I felt tears stream down my own cheeks as we walked to the loft.

"Instead of going to the loft, why not go to the Life Café?" Mimi suggested. Roger and I nodded and started to follow her. I looked back to check on Mark – he looked so handsome standing under a big oak tree, orange, red and yellow leaves falling around him. It looked like a picture, so beautiful and still. After a while, I heard him sing.

"_How did we get here?  
How the hell...  
Pan left - close on the steeple of the church  
How did I get here?  
How the hell...  
Christmas  
Christmas eve - last year  
How could a night so frozen be so scalding hot?  
How can a morning this mild be so raw?  
Why are entire years strewn  
On the cutting room floor of memory  
When single frames from one magic night  
Forever flicker in close-up  
On the 3D Imax of my mind  
That's poetic  
That's pathetic  
Why did Mimi knock on Roger's door  
And Collins choose that phone booth  
Back where Angel set up his drums  
Why did Maureen's equipment break down  
Why am I the witness  
And when I capture it on film  
Will it mean that it's the end  
And I'm alone?_" I walked up to him after he finished singing and hugged him around the waist. He put his hands on my back and held me close to him, too afraid to let me go.

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Two weeks later, I was out job-hunting with Roger. He wanted to something with music, but any job would do for him. I told him that I wanted to be a writer.

"Really?" he inquired. I nodded and smiled.

"When did you get interested in writing?" he asked.

"Ever since I was five-years-old. I would write stories about a horse named Hattie and her adventures. Sounds stupid, I know." I told him sheepishly.

"No, that's not stupid! I think that's wonderful that you wrote at a young age." He told me, smiling. I sighed and stopped as we passed a booksellers.

"What?" Roger inquired, standing next to me.

"This could be my calling!" I told him, excided.

"Huh?" Roger asked, confused.

"I love to read, so maybe I could get a job here!" I told him, pointing at the Help Wanted sign. I left Roger outside and came back ten minutes later, grinning like an idiot.

"Well?" Roger asked, looking at me.

"I got the job!" I squealed.

"Way to go, Mary! Mark's gonna be so happy!" Roger said, imitating me. I laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. Together, we made our way back to the loft, laughing and joking all the way there.

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We reached the loft fifteen minutes later. As we entered, I saw Mark setting up his projector and putting a reel of film in. Looking around, I didn't see Mimi or Collins anywhere.

"Hey Marky!" I greeted him, knowing how much he hated the pet name. _At least it's better than 'Pookie' _I told myself, laughing at the thought.

"Hey Mar!" He greeted me, smiling. I didn't mind if he called me Mar.

"What the hell are you doing/Where are Mimi and Collins?" Roger and I asked at the same time. Mark burst out laughing.

"Roger, to answer your question, I'm setting up Tomorrow 4 Me: Proof Positive. Mary, to answer your question, they're visiting Angel's grave, but they should be back shortly." Mark told us.

"What the hell is Tomorrow 4 Me?" Roger asked, taking a seat on the couch and picking up his guitar.

"It's the new documentary I've been working my ass off for." Mark informed him, taking a seat next to him. I sat in the armchair because there wasn't any more room on the couch.

A little while later, Maureen and Joanne entered the loft, carrying bags from the little Italian place down the street from the loft.

"Thanks you guys!" I thanked them as Maureen handed me my order of spaghetti and meatballs.

"You're welcome, Mary." Maureen said, smiling. Mimi and Collins walked in a little while later, both their faces covered in tears. Roger went to Mimi as I went to Collins.

"Hey." He greeted me, his voice hoarse.

"Hey." I echoed, hugging him around the waist. He smiled slightly and hugged me back. I looked over at Mimi – she had her head buried in Roger's shirt and was crying her eyes out. Roger just soothed her and held her close.

"Wanna see Mark's new documentary?" I asked Collins.

"Sure." He answered. I smiled slightly and walked him over to the couch. I then pulled up the chairs from the kitchen counter, just in case anyone wanted to sit in them. We watched the documentary in silence. As I watched the documentary, I felt Mark slip an arm around my waist and hold me close.

"I love you." He whispered in my ear. I was too engrossed in the documentary to even hear him.

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A/N: don't own the lyrics to Halloween. belongs to Jonathon Larson (RIP). 'nuff said.

A/N 2: got questions or comments about this story? you can review or PM me, i don't care.

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	4. I Should Tell You

Hey guys! This is Kait (rentislife0619) and I'm going to help write this story from now on! I wrote this chapter so I hope you enjoy it! Happy reading! ; )

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CHAPTER FOUR  
(Title- _I Should Tell You_)

Images of our family flashed on the screen, ending with a picture of the eight of us right before Angel passed away. The picture slowly faded away, signaling the end of the documentary.

Tears were streaming down everyone's faces and sniffling could be heard throughout the room.

"That was wonderful, Mark," I said, squeezing his hand and smiling. The rest of our group congratulated him on a job well done.

"Thanks, guys. Really, it means a lot to me," Mark said with a smile. He wiped the tears out of my eyes and kissed my forehead.

With that, Joanne stood up and announced that she and Maureen had to go home; she had a big court case the next morning and needed to get her rest. Maureen, of course, pouted but finally agreed to leave. "Goodbye, guys!" they said simultaneously. Roger, Mimi, Collins, Mark, and I each said goodbye to the pair.

"Well, I'd better get going, too." Collins said, stretching as he stood up from the couch. "I have class tomorrow, bright and early," he told us with a sigh. "Great documentary, Mark. Angel would have been proud," he said with a grin.

"Thanks, Col," Mark said. I got up to hug Collins goodbye while everyone Roger, Mimi, and Mark said their goodbyes from the couch.

As I sat down, Mark put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me tightly. I smiled and glanced over my shoulder, only to see Mimi's sleeping form lying on Roger's lap. "I'd better get her to bed. Goodnight, guys," Roger stated, smiling down at Mimi. He gently stood up, trying not to wake his girlfriend up. He slid his hands underneath her knees and her neck, picking her up and bringing her to the bedroom.

"And then there were two," Mark joked. I smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead on mine. "I love you, Mary," he said, his piercing blue eyes staring straight into mine. He waited for my reaction. All I could do was shake my head. _Did he just say he loved me? _

"What?" I asked him, my voice weak and timid.

"I said I love you," he told me again. "You don't have to say it back; I just thought I should tell you now before I chickened out. I know it's fast and all, but I can't help it, Mary. I'm falling in love with you. I told you I loved you when my documentary began but…" I cut him off with a kiss.

"Shut up, Marky," I said, smiling against his lips. "I love you, too. And I don't care how fast this is going, I'm up for anything," I confessed. "I never thought that I'd find someone who cares so much about me, but I have. I _know_ I have." I paused to kiss him again. "I actually started to think that no one would ever love me, but ever since I met you I knew you'd be someone who would see me for who I really was. None of the boys back home could see past my problems. I never thought that my first boyfriend would turn into someone I could see myself spending the rest of my life with," I smiled. I looked straight into his striking blue eyes, the same eyes that made me melt the first time I saw him, and awaited his reaction.

He kissed me again, with more passion than I thought he could muster. "I love you Mary Marie Sheppard."

"I love you, too," I said in-between kisses.

When I woke up the next morning, I found myself lying in Mark's arms. My eyes fluttered open and I turned onto my side, waking Mark up in the process. "Good morning, Marky," I said in a sweet voice. I bent over to kiss him.

"'Morning, Mar," he said, sounding extremely tired.

"Hey, what're we doing today?" I questioned.

"I dunno. Nothing, I guess. Today's my day off and you start working at the bookshop on Monday," he told me.

I smiled. "Good, because I don't think I want to get up. I could lie here all day."

He smiled, laughed, and proceeded to call me lazy. I acted offended and pouted until he kissed me.

"Mary?"

"Mark?"

"I have a question," he told me.

"Okay, I have an answer," I said, joking around with him.

He laughed. "Okay, you don't have to answer this, but something you said last night has been bothering me. You told me that all the boys back home couldn't see past your problems. Well, what problems are you talking about exactly?" he asked, refusing to look me in the eyes. He occupied his time by fiddling with the hem of the plaid comforter.

I sighed. I knew something like this would come up sooner or later. But it's better_ sooner_ than later, right? When he asked that question, the one question I dreaded answering, memories of the past raced through my mind. I had to be honest with him, I just had to. I racked my mind for any possible way to get out of answering his question, but my search for an excuse came up empty. _Here goes_, I thought.

"Okay, I'll tell you. Just promise me that you'll let me finish the whole story before you start judging me," I said, looking him straight in the eyes. My expression was serious; my voice, full of fear.

He shook his head and took my hands into his, squeezing them as he awaited the story of my past.

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A/N- questions or comments about the story! you can review/PM me or Kait (rentislife0619). Hope you liked it! 


	5. Daddy's Little Girl

Hi, guys! It's Kait again. Hope you're enjoying the story! Please review! We won't post another chapter until we start getting more reviews on this story!

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CHAPTER FIVE  
(Title- _Daddy's Little Girl_)

I let a sigh escape. _I'm really going to do this, aren't I? I'm going to share with him my feelings that I've kept bottled up inside me for too long,_ I thought to myself.

"I love you, Mary. Your story's safe with me, I promise you that," Mark said, squeezing my hands again.

"I love you, too. That's why I'm telling you this," I told him. _There's no turning back, Mar, just do it. _

"Okay. Here it goes. I told you about my father, right? How he had lung cancer and passed away from it a few years back?" He nodded. "Well, he'd been a heavy smoker—2 packs a day. So, his lung cancer had been developing for years. He came home from the doctors one day saying that he had stage four lung cancer and was given, at most, a year to live. My family and I expected it to happen one day, but when reality hits, it hits hard. It was like a giant smack in the face for him—all these years he'd been slowly killing himself and putting the people around him at risk, too." It wasn't until Mark began to hug me and rub my back that I noticed I had started to cry. We broke apart and he wiped my tears away, encouraging me to go on with my story.

"Since I was his only daughter _and_ the youngest, I was 'Daddy's Little Girl.' We were so close and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for me. And I wasn't until he passed away that I realized that I needed him—or, at least, more time with him—more than anything else in the entire world. We were so close and his death really affected me in a negative way. I was so scared, Mark. I was afraid that I couldn't live without him. I started to think that life wasn't really worth living unless you're with the ones you love, and after my father's death, I became suicidal." _There. I said it. I was suicidal. That wasn't so hard, now, was it? No. I can do this, _I encouraged myself. J_ust finish the story, Mary. _

I half expected Mark to get up and leave me sitting there after I told him I was suicidal, but he was better than that. He didn't even flinch. I've only known him for a short while and I already know that he will _never_ leave me. _He loves me._ And knowing that is the only motivation I have to keep telling my story.

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A/N- Want to know the rest of Mary's story? Well, review and I'll tell you! Any questions/comments? Review or PM us (rentislife0619 or Roger Davis' Song of Glory). 


	6. Don't You Ever Leave Me

Hola! Kait (rentislife0619) here--with another chapter! Hope you like it! Read and review, please!

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CHAPTER SIX  
(Title-_Don't You Ever Leave Me)_

Memories flooded my brain. _Keep going, Mary. You can't stop now; you're in too deep. _

I let another sigh escape me. "In the beginning I didn't think I would ever have the courage to go through with it, you know. It was just a thought that stayed with me the first few days after he died." I looked down. "But then it got worse." I took a pause. "Instead of living my life and paying attention to the real world, I would spend my time planning out ways I could kill myself. My mom told me that it'd be okay if I wanted to see a therapist since I was taking my father's death so badly, but I'd always tell her that I was fine and that it'd be a waste of time and money." I laughed—not a happy laugh, but a laugh of self-pity. "Now that I look back on it, I probably should have taken her up on that offer. Maybe it would have erased all the negative thoughts from my mind." I continued to look down, refusing to look into those intense blue eyes of his. If I looked up, I'd be looking at the one person that I wish _didn't _know about my past. I know, deep down in my heart, that what I'm telling him won't change anything between us-he loves me and he deserves to know-but I can't help but be scared of what he'll think of me when it's over.

Silent tears were streaming down my face. I was oblivious to their arrival; I was in my own little world, a world full of denial, self-hate, and blood—lots of blood. Mark's gentle hands wiped away my tears. "You're doing great, Mary. Keep going." He rubbed my back. "I'm so glad that you're comfortable telling me this."

_It's almost over_, I thought to myself. _I can do this. The worst part's coming up, but it'll only get better. _

I grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and wiped away the mascara that was traveling down my face through my tears. I'd neglected to take it off the night before. I folded the tissue four times in an attempt to waste time; it wasn't working.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _Here goes nothing._ "Fast-forward to March 28th. I was a wreck. I'd been kicked off of all my school sports teams—track, horseback riding, tennis, swimming and gymnastics—all in the same day. All of the coaches brought me into a small conference room and said that I needed some time to piece my life together. Apparently I needed to re-prioritize my life. They said after losing my father, sports shouldn't be on the top of my list—my wellbeing should be paramount. It was a bunch of bullshit, if you ask me. I mean, that's what I thought at the time. As hard as it is to realize, now that I look back on the situation, I think they were right. But of course, being fourteen and in my first year of high school, I didn't give a shit what my coaches thought. I guess I was convinced the world was out to get me. Those sports were the only things that were helping me get my mind off of my father—I'd go home and be reminded of him, I'd look at my mother's face and see how she longed for him to be there with her, I'd look at my brother, Erick, and be see my father's face in his. But most importantly, I'd look in the mirror and see his eyes and his smile. I couldn't escape him, Mark, I just couldn't. He was _everywhere_."

I motioned for another tissue and Mark placed one in my hand. I dabbed my eyes and wiped my nose. I was a wreck and I wasn't even finished with my story. He took me into his arms and I cried on his shoulder. His soft hands made concentric circles on my back. His touch was soothing and it calmed me down. Just by the way he held me I could tell how deeply he cared for me. He motivated me to continue with my story.

We broke apart and I started to talk again. "After that meeting I decided to go home—to an empty house. I figured if now wasn't the best time to kill myself, when was? Like I said, 'The world was out to get me,' and I needed a way to escape. His death traumatized me and the only way to escape the trauma was to kill myself, too." I paused to let a small sob escape. "So, I locked the doors and went into the bathroom, stopping in the kitchen beforehand to get a small knife. I drew myself a bath—I figured I should be relaxed before I actually went through with it. I took my clothes off and put one foot into the bathtub. I realized that I should leave a note behind, but I didn't have any paper. So I took a red lipstick out of the make-up drawer and shakily wrote a short note in the mirror. I told Erick and Mom that I loved them but this was the only way to escape the pain and emptiness I felt. I was scared, Mark, I'm not going to lie about that." I put my head in my hands. _Here goes nothin'. _

"I got into the tub—the water was filled with lavender scented bubble bath—and slit my wrists. Let me tell you, the first few cuts hurt like a _mother_, but after that my arms went numb from the loss of blood. And that's all that I remember." I took a long pause, allowing Mark to digest what he was hearing. "The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed with Erick and Mom sitting beside me with tears in their eyes. My arms were bandaged up and I was hooked up to all sorts of beeping and buzzing monitors." Sobs were quickly escaping from deep inside my throat. Mark, who was as white as a ghost and had tears falling freely from his eyes, lifted my chin so I'd look straight at him.

"I love you, Mary, and I'm so proud of you for telling me all of this. Promise me you'll never leave me. Promise me you'll never leave me like April left us." His last sentence was said with disgust. _April? Who was April?_

_

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A/N- So, her story's out! But what happens next? Read and review and it'll make me post quicker! _


	7. Remembering

A/N: hey everyone! it's Roger Davis' Song of Glory (aka Mimi) with my installments of The New Bohemian. hope you enjoy!

A/N 2: here's what's going on with the chapts - Kaitlin (rentislife0619) is writing three chapts. and then i'll write three chapts. we go back and forth. we'll always post Author Notes to let you guys know what's going on.

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CHAPTER SEVEN  
(chapter title – Remembering)

"April was Roger's old girlfriend. She slit her writs after she found out that both she and Roger had AIDS." Mark told me, tears forming in his eyes. I had never seen him cry before and it was scaring me.

"I thought that Mimi was Roger's girlfriend." I told him, confused.

"She is. April was Roger's girlfriend before he met Mimi." Mark said, wiping the tears away from his eyes with the back of his hand. He then stood up and took my hand in his. I got up, but quickly lost my balance. Both my feet had fallen asleep. Mark laughed and helped me to his room where we got ready for bed. I could hear Roger snoring away in the room that he and Mimi shared.

Meanwhile, inside Mark's room, we were getting ready for bed. I stripped out of my T-shirt, jeans and shoes and put on the extra large orange sleep shirt that I always slept in. I then went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and put my hair in braids. I walked back to Mark's room and got into bed. Mark kissed me and fell asleep a couple minutes later. I laid awake, thinking about the day that we sold Pye – my beloved horse.

"_Bye my beautiful Pye." I told my beautiful mare. She put her head on my shoulder as I cried my eyes out. Today was the day that her new owner – Samantha Keene – was picking her up. I buried my face in her soft mane and continued to cry. She let out a low nicker as I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Erick standing next to me, tears streaming down his cheeks._

"_Wrap it up, Mar." He told me, snapping a lead rope to Pye's halter. Pyrate's Gold Forever was going to be out of my life forever. Samantha walked up to Pye and led her to the apple-red one-horse trailer and led her inside. I ran up to the house and to my room. I picked up my brown and white paint stuffed horse, Snuggles, and held him close, too afraid to let him go._

"Mar? You okay?" Mark's gentle voice woke me up from my nightmare. I crawled into his lap and cried my eyes out.

"Shh. It's okay." Mark soothed me, holding me close too afraid to let me go.

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The next day, Monday, was the first day of my new job at Joe's Book Shop. Taking in a deep breath, I walked into the building and looked for Joe, the owner. I spotted him in the Children's Section, helping a girl get down a book from a high shelf.

"Hi, Mary! How are you doing this morning?" he greeted me, walking over to me. Joe Coffman was a thirty-something man with auburn hair and green eyes. He's about 6'9 and the nicest guy I have ever met (besides my brother, Roger, Mark and my dad). Today, he was wearing a gray T-shirt and jeans.

"So, Joe. What am I doing today?" I asked. I'm always up for a challenge.

"Today, Mary, I'm gonna have you realphabetize the Children's Section – by author first name, re-organize the Science Fiction Section and sweep the front of the store." Joe told me, smiling.

"Okay." I headed to the Children's Section and took the first row of books off the shelf and look at the author first name.

Three hours later, I'm outside sweeping the front of the store just as Mark, Roger, Collins and Mimi are walking on the opposite side of the street. I so long to be with them, but I have work to do.

Mark quickly crosses the street, followed by Roger, Collins and Mimi.

"Hey guys!" I greeted them, kissing Mark on the cheek.

"Hey Mar! How's your first day of work going?" Collins asked.

"It's going pretty good. My boss, Joe, is really sweet." I then got an inquisitive look on my face. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, I got off work early and we're heading to the loft." Mark told me. I smiled slightly and continued with my sweeping.

"When are you off work?" Mimi inquired, taking Roger's hand in hers.

"As soon as I'm done with the sweeping." I answered her, looking at the sidewalk to make sure that it was free of dirt, dust and debris.

"Looks like your done to me." Mark said, putting his arms around my waist. I laughed and shooed him with the broom. Collins, Roger and Mimi laughed at Mark's expression on his face.

"Let me go tell Joe that I'm done out here and then we can go. Come on in, guys." I told them, motioning them into the bookshop. They filed in and stood in the doorway. Tia, the other worker there, smiled at Roger as she carried a bunch of books to the Adult Section.

"Ahem." Mimi cleared her throat. I rolled my eyes as I signed out and took Mark's hand in mine. Together, the five of us headed to the loft, laughing and talking.

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A/N: love? hate? review!

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	8. Give Into Love

CHAPTER EIGHT  
(chapter title – Give Into Love)

"Hey Marky, could I go filming with you today?" I asked. I had only been home from work for an hour and I was bored out of my mind.

"Yeah, sure. C'mon." he grabbed his coat and motioned for me to follow him. The two of us raced each other down the stairs and into the bright afternoon sun. We then headed for Central Park, talking about everything and nothing.

"So, Mar. If you don't mind my asking, why did you want to come today?" Mark asked as we entered Central Park.

"I'm bored and there's nothing to do." I told him, planting a small kiss on his cheek. He smiled and handed me the camera. It was really heavy, but Mark held it study for me.

"Pick something to film." He told me. I looked around and spotted a group of Central Park riders heading our way. The riders smiled at us as I filmed them. Mark and I then went to a different part of the park to watch a twenty-something girl and her yellow lab. The lab was chasing Frisbees and catching them in its mouth. Mark and I were giggling at the dog and owner when my cell phone rang. Looking at the number, I flipped my cell open and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Mary? Is Mark there? It's Roger." Confused, I handed my phone to Mark. He handed me the camera.

"Hey Rog…what? Okay! Stay calm…where is he? Okay, okay! We'll be right there…bye!" he turned off my phone and handed it to me.

"Mark? Everything okay?" I wanted to know.

"No – Collins is in the hospital." He told me.

"What? How?" I felt tears in my eyes.

"He had a coughing spell at work and he coughed up some blood. It's really serious." He answered, not daring to look at me as we walked out of the park and back to the loft so that we could drop off his camera and head to the hospital.

"How long have you guys known Collins?" I inquired.

"Roger's known him the longest out of all of us – almost ten years. I've only known him for five." Mark said, still avoiding my eyes. I sighed and we continued to walk to the loft in silence.

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Half an hour later, we reached the hospital to see Maureen, Joanne and Mimi in the waiting room. I went over and sat next to Mimi. She had tears in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

"Where's Rog?" Mark asked Joanne.

"He's in with Collins." The lawyer answered, tears rolling down her cheeks. He sat down next to Maureen and we all waited for Roger to come out of the hospital room.

He came walking towards us, tears rolling down his cheeks. Mimi lifted her head off my shoulder and looked at her boyfriend.

"Mary, Collins wants to see you." Roger told me. I nodded and unwrapped my arms from around Mimi and stood up.

"Second door on the left hand side." Roger told me, sitting down in my vacant spot. I exited the waiting room and walked to Collins' hospital room.

"Collins?" I asked, walking to his room.

"Hey Mary. Come on in." he told me, weakly. I took in a deep breath and entered the room. I hadn't been in a hospital room since my first attempt at suicide and then when my mom had suffered a stroke.

"Come here, honey. I won't bite." The philosopher told me. I sat down upon a chair next to his bed. He was hooked up to machines that were beeping and buzzing. I tried my best to hide my tears, but they streamed down my cheeks.

"It's okay, Mar." his voice was getting weaker by the second. I took his hands in mine and tried to keep them warm. He coughed really hard and signaled for me to get him some water. I nodded and stood up, pouring him water from the tap and brought it back to him. He drunk the water slowly and set it on his bedside table.

"Thanks, sweetie." He said, taking my hands in his.


	9. Or Live In Fear

A/N: hey hey hey! it's me (Mimi) again. this is the last chapt. of my part of the story. Kaitlin (rentislife0619) will update her 3 chapts. soon.

A/N 2: don't hesitate to r/r! you can also PM us at Roger Davis' Song of Glory (me) or rentislife0619 (Kaitlin)

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CHAPTER NINE  
(chapter title – Or Live In Fear)

I exited the hospital room and went to sit with Mark, Maureen, Roger, Joanne and Mimi.

"How's he doing?" Maureen asked.

"Not good." I told her. Turning to Mark, I added, "he wants to see you, Mark."

"Thanks, Mary." He got up from his chair and walked to Collins' hospital room. I sat down in his chair next to Maureen and let out a little sob. She pulled me into a hug and stroked my hair. Just then, there was a huge cry of "Collins!" from his hospital room. Without hesitation, the six of us jumped up and ran to Collins' hospital room. We found Mark holding Collins' hand and crying. We knew that Collins was no longer with us.

"Oh my God!" I gasped. I could no longer hold in my tears and started bawling like a baby. Mark came over to me and held me close. I could feel his tears dripping onto my forehead. Mimi was sobbing hysterically into Roger's shirt; Roger was crying, but not as hard as Mimi or I were. Joanne and Maureen were sobbing, holding each other close to them. I pulled away so that I could call Benny on my cell phone. I got the answering machine.

"Benny? Alison? This is Mary Sheppard. I'm just calling to let you know that Collins died at." I looked at my watch. "Twelve thirty this afternoon. Bye." I hung up and turned my phone off. Mark walked over to me and put his arms around my waist and drew me close. I cried into his shirt and wrapped my arms around his neck. He led me over to a hospital chair so that we could sit down and be held in each other's arms. I buried my face in his shirt and just sobbed. Mark rubbed my back and soothed me. Other than the sounds of crying, there wasn't another sound in the room.

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Benny and Alison came to the loft around two to say their condolences. I had only met them once and they seemed like the kind of people that could've been Collins' friends. Mimi and I stepped out of the loft to go out for a bit – just to give Mark, Benny, Alison and Roger some time to themselves. Maureen and Joanne had left shortly after Benny and Alison had arrived. Mark had told the story to me, so I don't feel like repeating it. We didn't talk very much, which was okay with me. When we were two blocks away from the loft, Mimi started sobbing. I joined her shortly. We stopped walking and held each other close, too afraid to let go.


	10. Facing Reality

A/N- Hey guys! Kait here with the first of my three chapters! Hope you like!

A/N 2- Please Read and Review! Or you can PM us at (Kait) rentislife0619 or (Mimi) Roger Davis' Song of Glory.

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CHAPTER TEN 

(Title- _Facing Reality_)

Dressed in black from head to toe, my 'family' and I walked a few blocks down to the church for Collins' funeral. The church was only a few blocks away from the loft, but no one uttered a single word. The silence alone was loud enough; words weren't needed.

We entered through the large doors. Stained glass adorned the walls, letting colorful light seep through into the church. We all sat down in the front two pews, preparing ourselves for something we didn't want to do.

Mark placed an arm around my shoulders, hugging me tightly and telling me that it would be okay. His voice was so soft, inaudible to others. His words were meant just for me. Even though I hadn't known Collins for as long as the others, I felt that I was taking his death the worst. After my father's death, my life spiraled downwards. I never thought that I would lead a normal life again until I met Mark and his loving 'family' that so graciously 'adopted' me as one of their own from the moment I moved to New York.

I was taken out of my thoughts as soon as I heard Mimi's voice. She was standing on the altar stroking a picture of Collins taken a few days before he passed on. She told stories of funny moments that only she and Collins would understand. When she finished, she blew a kiss to his casket, tears streaming down her face. "I love you," she whispered. Mimi slowly walked down the 3 steps from the altar to the floor, sat down next to Roger, and buried her face in his coat. Her sobs were loud and heart wrenching.

I became lost in my thoughts again. My daydream was much better than the reality that I knew I had to face. I couldn't face it just yet, nor did I want to.

Mark sat back down in the pew after saying a few words about his friend. Tears were streaming down his face. He wiped his eyes and placed his arm around my shoulder again. "Mary?" He shook me.

I shook my head, coming out of my thoughts, and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"The rest of us already went up." He pointed to Maureen, Joanne, Mimi, Roger, and Benny, and himself. "Would you like to go up and say a few things about Collins now?" he asked, dabbing his eyes with a tissue.

I nodded, stood up, and walked up to his casket. One look at the picture resting on top of it made me start sobbing all over again. I reassured myself that everything would be okay and that I should start talking before people became confused.

I cleared my voice and began. "I wasn't as fortunate as the rest of my friends." I pointed to my friends in the front two pews. "They knew Collins far longer than I did, and they were very lucky. But in the few months that I did know him, I learned so much from him. He was a great role model, a great listener, a genius, but most of all a great friend. I truly loved him and I still do. He was passionate about what he did and cared so much for his friends and family. And as much as I wish we could have him back here on Earth, I know that he's in a better place, now. He's with Angel in heaven, probably looking down on us right now and laughing at how cheesy I sound saying all of this." I paused to laugh at my joke. I looked up towards the ceiling, which was painted with clouds and angels. _Heaven_, I thought as I smiled up towards Collins.

I shook my head, refocusing on what I was doing. I dabbed my eyes with a Kleenex and continued. "Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I _know_ Collins will be missed by all of us. He was one of the most genuine people you will ever meet and it will definitely take some time to come to terms with the fact that he's gone. He was such a fatherly…figure…in…my..." I slowed my speaking and eventually stopped mid-sentence. _You idiot! You had to say it, didn't you? Father—the one word that brings your whole world crashing down and spiraling out of control. _"Excuse me," I said as I ran down the altar and out of the church. I heard Mark come running after me, screaming my name. Not once did I look back.

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A/N- ooh, where did she go? R&R please! PM -rentislife0619- or -Roger Davis' Song of Glory- w/ questions or comments. Hope you liked it!  



	11. Lovely Little Chats

A/N- Kait here with another chapter! Hope you like!

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CHAPTER ELEVEN  
(Title- _Lovely Little Chats_) 

As I ran out of the church I couldn't help but fill my mind with memories of Collins and my own father. I couldn't deny the truth; Collins _was_ like a father to me. He would always drop everything to come and help me, he would listen to me and my pathetic problems, and he was a great person overall. In fact, he was _just_ like my real father—that's what scared me so much.

I continued running down the city streets, dodging angry drivers and glaring pedestrians. I didn't care how much of an annoyance I was; I just _had_ to get out of there. Mark, being the only one that understands why I ran out, was probably running after me. I didn't care. I had to talk to someone, but who would listen?

Ten minutes later I found myself in front of Green-Wood Cemetery. _Isn't this where Mark said Angel and April are buried? _

I took a step inside and went to the little building that was on my right. I asked Joseph, the man behind the counter, where I could find April and Angel's graves. He told me that they were buried right next to each other towards the center of the graveyard. He sent me on my way with a small map of the cemetery. Angel and April's graves were highlighted.

I began walking towards their graves and asked myself what the hell I was doing. _I didn't even know these people! What the hell am I going to do here? _Before I had time to answer myself, a large gust of wind pushed me on my way. The wind carried a beautiful yellow rose that landed right in-between Angel and April's graves. I picked it up and took in its wonderful aroma. _Here goes nothing!_

_Where do I begin? _"Um, hi guys. I'm sorry I haven't been here to talk in so long, Angel, but things are so complicated right now. I still think of you everyday, though. I miss you a lot, hun. April, you don't know me, but I've heard a lot about you. My name is Mary Shepphard and, um, I'm a good friend of Roger, Mark, Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne. Well, I'm actually dating Mark, so I'm _really_ good friends with him." I laughed, silently praying that they were hearing me.

"Well, today was Collins' funeral, but I guess you already knew that." I looked down and kicked a rock with my shoe. "Collins really meant a lot to me. I guess you could say he was a fatherly-figure in my life. You see, my dad died of lung cancer when I was a high school freshman. We were really close and when we lost him, my life spiraled downwards. My grades dropped, I was kicked off my sports teams, and then I became suicidal. And I _did_ try to kill myself, just like you April. Exactly like you. Except you succeeded and I didn't.

"Okay, that sounded really mean. I'm sorry, April." I paused to take a deep breath, trying to stifle my free-falling tears. "But then I got into rehab and I haven't thought about killing myself since. But I guess today brought back all those painful memories of my father's death and the hardships that came along with it. Losing Collins was like losing my dad all over again. And I realized that when I went up to say a few words about him at the funeral. So, I kind of stormed out on everybody and ended up here. I really needed someone to talk to and you guys have really helped. I know I can't hear or see you, but I know that you're listening. It's like the wind. I can't see it, but I know it's there." _Phew! That feels better! _

As soon as I stopped talking, the wind picked up again and abruptly lifted the yellow rose up off of the ground. The rose made its way behind me, so I turned around to see where it went. However, the rose wasn't the only thing I saw. Mark was there, too, fiddling with the rose in his hands.

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A/N- Love it? Hate it? Let me know! R&R please! 


	12. Everything's Gonna Be Alright

A/N- Hi guys! It's Kait. Here's my last chapter for now. My friend will post the next three and then I'll be back. Hope you like it!

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CHAPTER TWELVE

(Title- _Everything's Gonna Be Alright_)

I looked up into Marks icy blue eyes. A small smile formed on his face as he started to walk towards me, his hand reaching out to give me the yellow rose.

"Mark…how…why…" I gulped. "What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I—I came for you. You stormed out of the church so fast. No one knew what happened to you, well, except me. I figured you'd want someone to talk to. And with April and you having, well, things in common, and the fact that she's buried here, I guessed you walked on over here." He put his head in his hands and sighed.

"I'm so stupid, you know that? I spent all this time worrying about the arrangements, flowers, burial sites—you know, all the things that go along with funerals— that it took time away from us. I'm so sorry, Mary. I should have known that Collins was like a father to you. And after you telling me about your own father and the pain you felt when you lost him, I should have realized that this would be so hard on you." He took me into his arms and gave me a big hug, kissing my cheek. I hugged him back, equally as hard, and cried onto his shoulder.

"Thank you, Mark. But it's not your fault." I paused to dab my eyes with the tissue in my pocket. "I should have held myself together—at least for the funeral—before I broke down like this. Can we please just forget that this even happened? I don't want anyone else to know about my father. Not just yet, at least." My voice was almost inaudible. Crying all this time wore me out.

He kissed my forehead. "Sure, sweetie. I'll do whatever you'd like," he said, rubbing my back. "I love you, Mary."

"I love you too, Mark."

I rested my head on his shoulder. "Do we have to go back to the church? Because I don't know if I can do that. I mean, I might freak out again and run away and—what are you staring at me for?"

Mark started to laugh at me. "You're rambling on and on about freaking out and I think it's cute." He flashed a smile my way. "And to answer your question—no, we don't have to go back to the church. We can go to the loft if you'd like. It's up to you," he told me.

"Loft, please," I answered.

He took my hand in his and we started walking out of the cemetery. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around, pulling Mark with me.

"Mary? Where are we going?" he asked, puzzled.

"Just wait." And with that, we walked back to April and Angel's graves. I placed the yellow rose back where I found it—in-between the two gravestones. "Thanks, guys," I whispered to them.

Mark smiled at me and we proceeded out of the cemetery, our joined hands swinging with each step we took.

We stopped at a flower shop on the corner of 9th street and Avenue C. Mark bought me a bouquet of yellow and red roses behind my back. I had busied myself with looking at a People magazine at the newsstand next door. When I put the magazine back on the shelf and turned around, I found Mark standing before me with the bouquet held out for me.

"Mark! They're beautiful!" I paused to smell them, their aroma as sweet as the rose I found in the cemetery. "What's the occasion?"

Mark pulled out a long, thin box coated with red velvet. He opened it and revealed a beautiful silver bracelet with a heart charm. The charm was inscribed with _I love you, Mary_ on the back. "Happy anniversary, Mary," he said, right before he kissed me.

My eyes welled up with tears and pretty soon they were streaming down my face. "Thank you, Mark! It's beautiful!" I paused to kiss him. "I love you so much!" I said, with my arms around his neck.

He helped me put the bracelet on, sneaking kisses in as he did so. We then walked back to the loft, my arm linked with his. _Everything was going to be okay._

_

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A/N- Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! _


	13. Surprises Everywhere

A/N: hey guys and girls! it's Mimi (aka Roger Davis' Song of Glory) writing my 3 chapts. there's gonna be a lot happening in my chapts, so i'll have those posted ASAP.

A/N 2: feel free to REVIEW! we need reviews to make this story thrive and live!

A/N 3: questions? comments? feel free to PM me (roger davis' song of glory) or Kait (rentislife0619)

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
(chapter title – Surprises Everywhere)

After we reached the loft, my stomach kept doing flip-flops, I don't really know why. As I waited for Mark to open the door, he covered me in kisses. I untucked his shirt and started unbuttoning it. He fumbled with the keys and finally got the door unlocked. We walked to the couch and started making out. Once while we were on the couch, he took off my black jacket and threw it on the floor. After that, clothes went flying everywhere.

Ten minutes later, we were completely naked, lying on the couch, breathing heavily. Mark kissed my forehead and looked into my green-gray eyes.

"I love you, Mary." He whispered.

"I love you, too, Mark." I whispered back. He kissed my forehead again and we just laid there – me on top of him.

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Two weeks later, Mark asked me to marry him. It was so sweet the way he asked. We were just having a spaghetti dinner, just the two of us, when all of a sudden the song, When You Wish Upon A Star – my favorite song in the world, started playing. I set down my wine glass as Mark asked me to dance with him – we slowly danced around the loft, when all of a sudden, Mark gets down on one knee and draws a small box out from his pocket.

"Oh my God!" I breathed as he opened the jewelry box to reveal a simple gold wedding band.

"Mary Marie Sheppard, will you marry me?" Mark asked. I felt tears in my eyes.

"Yes! I'll marry you!" I told him as he slipped the band onto my left ring finger. It fit perfectly.

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My day off work, I called Mimi, Joanne and Maureen and told them to meet me at the Life Café. I was seated at a booth towards the back of the restaurant. I heard the bell ding over the door and saw three figures walk through the door.

"Guys! Over here!" I called, waving my arms up and down. The three of them laughed and made their way over to where I was sitting.

"Mary, what is it? Is everything okay between you and Mark?" Maureen asked. I laughed and nodded. She and Joanne sat across from me while Mimi sat down next to me.

"The reason why I asked you guys – I mean _ladies _here is because I was wondering if you wanted to be in my and Mark's wedding." I asked. All three of them screamed 'yes' at the same time.

"Okay, okay!" I laughed. I picked up the pepper shaker and turned it around and around in my hands.

"Mar? you okay, chica?" Mimi asked. I nodded and motioned for her to get up. She got up without any questions and followed me to the ladies room.

"Mimi, I was wondering if you wanted to be my Maid of Honor." I told her.

"Si!" she squealed. I laughed and hugged her tightly.

"You just have to promise me something – don't tell Maureen and Joanne." I told her.

"Don't worry, Mar. You can trust me." The little Hispanic dancer answered. Together, the two of us headed out of the ladies room and back to the table where Joanne and Maureen were sitting. The four of us ordered grilled cheese sandwiches and Cokes. The three of them teased me about having my favorite food as a bride. I playfully stuck my tongue out at them and took a bite of my grilled cheese sandwich.

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A/N: love? hate? REVIEW!

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	14. Wedding Arrangements

A/N: hey everyone! it's Mimi again (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) with a new chapt.

A/N 2: i made a mistake with the last chapt. THIS is chapt. 14 - not the last one. that was chapt. 13. my mistake. sorry for the confusion!

A/N 3: questions? comments? let either Kait (rentislife0619) or myself (roger davis' song of glory) know either by email or PM.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN  
(chapter title – Wedding Arrangements)

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks slowly turned into months, Mark and I planned our wedding. We decided on an outdoor July wedding. After I told Mark that I had made Mimi my Maid of Honor, he told me that he had made Roger his Best Man.

"Where are we honeymooning?" I asked, opening up Mark's shirt a bit. He kissed my cheek and shrugged his shoulders.

"What about a cruise around the Caribbean?" he suggested. That was an awesome idea!

"I love that idea, honey!" I told him, kissing the end of his nose. Mark smiled and pulled me onto his lap. I looked at my watch – it was a quarter to one.

"Shit! Mimi's gonna freak if I'm not at the wedding dress place in the next five minutes!" I quickly gave Mark another kiss and headed into the warm September air. Taking in a deep breath, I walked to the wedding dress shop two blocks away from the loft. I busied myself for looking for lip balm when I ran into somebody.

"Sorry." I apologized, looking up into the face of the man I had bumped into. He had wavy brown hair, hazel eyes and a light complexion. I felt a grin spread across my face as I hugged my brother, Erick, for the longest time.

"Mar? What are you doing?" he inquired as we broke apart.

"I'm going to the wedding dress shop. What are _you _doing here?" I asked him.

"Well, I got a call from Mark saying if I wanted to be in his wedding and of course, I said 'yes'. I didn't know that Mark was your husband." He explained.

"I thought I told you." I said, slightly confused.

"You did, but I'm not remembering." I glanced briefly at my watch – two minutes to make it.

"You know what, Erick, my Maid of Honor is gonna flip her lid if I'm late to the wedding dress shop. I'm sure that Mark and Roger need you at the loft." With a quick hug, I ran the two blocks to the wedding dress store called Donner's Wedding Dresses. Looking at my watch, I had one minute to get my ass in there before Mimi ranted at me in Spanish.

"Mary!" Mimi greeted me. I panted as she led me into the shop. Joanne and Maureen were there, trying on lavender bridesmaids dresses.

"You guys look beautiful!" I told them, smiling.

"Yeah, they do!" Mimi laughed as she pulled me into one of the small dressing rooms in the back of the store. Taking a wedding dress off its hanger, she helped me take off my street clothes and put the dress on. Once it was on, she shoved me out to where Joanne and Maureen were waiting.

"Oh my God! Mary! You look stunning!" Joanne breathed as I stood on the little stool in front of the mirror so that the girl who worked there could hem the bottom of my dress.

"Does it fit?" she asked. I nodded. Mimi, Maureen and Joanne smiled. Mimi helped me off the stool and back to the dressing room where I could change into my street clothes. After we had our street clothes back on, Mimi, Joanne, Maureen and I headed out the door and to the Life Café. I couldn't wait to be married to the man of my dreams – even though Maureen told me that she and Mark had dated, but it was over, so I really didn't care. Mark was all mine and no one could take him away from me.

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A/N: for everyone that reviews, i have HUGE chocolate chip and M&M cookies waiting! IF you leave us a nice review you'll get one, so REVIEW!

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	15. The Wedding of My Dreams

A/N: hey there everyone! it's Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) updating yet again. this is my final installment of TNB, but not to worry, Kait (rentislife0619) will update her chapts. soon (i hope)

A/N 2: questions? comments? email or PM us at Roger Davis' Song of Glory (aka Mimi) or Rentislife0619 (Kait)

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN  
(chapter title – The Wedding Of My Dreams)

"July 10th, 1995, one PM Eastern Standard Time – it's my wedding day!" Mark narrated into his camera as Roger stood behind him, adjusting his tie.

"Cohen! Will you stand still!" Roger told his best friend, laughing. Mark rolled his icy blue eyes at his friend.

"I'm just really nervous, Rog. I've never been married before." Mark confessed as he sat his camera down on a table.

"It'll be okay – remember what they said in Fiddler on the Roof – lachieam or shit like that." Roger told his friend.

"It's pronounced_ la kayim_ and it means 'To Life' in Russian." Mark informed him.

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Meanwhile, in the ladies dressing room, Mimi, Joanne and Maureen were helping me put on my wedding dress. It was a floor-length white dress with hints of different colored sparkles on it.

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful." Joanne told me as she placed a hand on my shoulder. I had tears in my eyes as I took in a deep breath. Joanne was like the mother figure in the group – always making sure everyone was dressed warmly enough and I could talk to her about anything, which made me feel special.

"Thanks, Jo." I told her, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Mary, now's not the time to cry, chica." Mimi told me in a motherly voice. I smiled through my tears and used a Kleenex to dab my tears away. Sitting down in a chair, Mimi applied my makeup while Joanne and Maureen helped me with everything else I needed help with.

"Everyone know who they're walking with?" I asked.

"Roger and I." Mimi piped up.

"Erick and I." Joanne told me.

"Max and I." Maureen flashed a small pout at me. I smiled, knowing that Maureen would rather walk down the aisle with Joanne than my sixteen-year-old cousin from Michigan.

"You'll like him, Mo. He's really sweet." I reassured her, opening my eyes wide as Mimi applied my mascara. I never needed to wear makeup – only for special occasions, but nothing fancy. Mimi helped me stand up and into my white high-heeled shoes. Joanne then handed my bouquet of yellow and red flowers to me. I instantly found Mark and took a deep breath.

"Nervous?" he asked. I nodded and looked straight ahead. At the front of the group was Maureen and Max, then Joanne and Erick, then Mimi and Roger, then Mark and I. As Pacabel Canon in D started playing, Maureen, Max, Joanne, Erick, Mimi and Roger walked down the aisle and to their spots on either side of the canopy. Mark and I didn't move until the string quartet started playing Sunrise, Sunset. A lot of the inspiration for the wedding came from watching Fiddler on the Roof with Mimi, Maureen, Joanne, Roger and Mark sometime last week. I had never seen that movie and I really enjoyed it.

Anyway, as Mark and I walked down the aisle, I saw a lot of familiar faces from where my family was sitting. I continued to look straight ahead at the canopy and my 'adopted family'.

"…I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." the rabbi told us two hours later. Mark lifted the veil off of my face and kissed me passionately. I laced my fingers behind his neck and kissed him even more passionately than ever.

---------------

"I would like to say a few words." Roger clinked his wine glass with his fork. I laughed and took a sip of my champagne.

"First, I would like to say a few words about Marcus David Cohen – my best friend in the entire world. He's very lucky to have such a beautiful girl like Mary by his side, to comfort him, care for him and love him." I was starting to get tears in my eyes.

"Let's raise a glass to Mary and Mark Cohen – may they always be together Mozel Tov!" Roger raised his wine glass and stepped off the stage. Mark and I stood up and hugged him.

"Thank you." I whispered in Roger's ear. He smiled and went to sit next to Mimi at the Wedding Party table. Mimi stood up and walked to the stage and took the mike in her hands.

"I believe it's now time for Mark and Mary's first dance together as a couple." Mimi said. Mark smiled and led me to the dance floor. I laced my hands behind his neck while Mark put his hands on my waist and drew me close.

"This song was written by my boyfriend, Roger and it's called Seasons of Love." She and Roger then sang the most beautiful duet I had ever heard.

"_Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes,  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Moments so dear.  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure, measure a year? _

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights  
In cups of coffee  
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure  
A year in the life?" Mimi sang.

"_How about love?  
How about love?  
How about love? Measure in love _

Seasons of love. Seasons of love" Roger sang.

"_Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes!  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Journeys to plan. _

Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes  
How do you measure the life  
Of a woman or a man?" Mimi sang.

"_In truths that she learned,  
Or in times that he cried.  
In bridges he burned,  
Or the way that she died_." Roger sang.

"_It's time now to sing out,  
Tho' the story never ends  
Let's celebrate  
Remember a year in the life of friends  
Remember the love!  
Remember the love!  
Seasons of love!_" Mimi sang.

"_Oh you got to got to Remember the love!  
You know love know that love is a gift from up above  
Share love, give love spread love _

_Measure measure you life in love._" Roger sang.

After they were done singing, Mark and I ran up to the stage and hugged them. I felt tears in my eyes as I hugged Roger tightly. He hugged me back.

"Thank you." I whispered in his ear.

"You're welcome." He whispered back. I went to hug Mimi as Mark hugged Roger.

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After the wedding, Mark and I are headed to our honeymoon where we are spending two months in Hawaii. I had always wanted to go there, and now I was – with my husband. As we found our seats, I rested my head on his shoulder and fell asleep. I stayed awake for one of the in-flight movies, but I couldn't hold my eyes open for dinner, so I slept through that. I was dreaming of my life with Mark and what the future had in store for us.

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A/N: don't own the lyrics to Seasons of Love. belongs to respected owner. 'nuff said.

A/N 2: if you review, i still have some chocolate chip and M&M cookies with your guys' names on them

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	16. Fun, Fun, Fun!

**A/N-** Hey guys! Kait here with the first of my three chapters! Hope you like!

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(Title- _Fun, Fun, Fun!_)

The next morning Mark woke me up with a kiss on the lips and a gentle shake of my shoulders. My eyes fluttered open. Yawning, I looked around the plane and stretched a bit.

"Mornin', stranger," I said, reaching up to kiss him again.

I felt him smile against my lips. "We're here!" he whispered. My eyes lit up as we began to collect our things and exit the plane.

Hand in hand, we walked into the airport. The nice couple that sat in front of us must have told the people at the airline desk that we were on our honeymoon because they congratulated us and placed pink and yellow leis around our necks.

We grabbed our suitcases from baggage claim, rented a car, and made our way to the resort we were staying at.

When we drove up to the front gates of the Halekulani resort, we were greeted by two concierges. They took our bags for us and told us that they'd be waiting in our room when we were ready to go up to it. We checked into the hotel, receiving a complimentary bottle of wine since it was our honeymoon. We made our way to the 'Honeymooner's Suite' and were shocked at the size of the room and the remarkable view it had.

When we entered the room, we found ourselves in a small, but cozy living room with a fireplace, two couches, and a television. Down the hall was a large bedroom with a California king sized bed with a red duvet. The bathroom was amazing, too. There was a Jacuzzi/bath, a shower with jets located in the wall instead of a showerhead, and candles aligning the windowsill.

"We are _so_ using that later," I said, seductively as I pointed to the Jacuzzi. Mark responded with a smile and a passionate kiss. His arms were wrapped around my waist and slowly made their way down to my grab my ass. I broke away from him, leaving him desperate for contact again. "Later, Marky," I said with a sexy smile, pointing to the Jacuzzi as I left for the bedroom. He followed me soon after.

The view from our bedroom's balcony was breathtaking. I took Mark's hand as we ventured outside and sat on the balcony's chairs. We sat there for about five minutes, taking in the incredible view and whispering 'I love you' back and forth.

We decided to head back in and unpack our suitcases. We put all of our toiletries in the bathroom and our clothes in the dressers. I winked at Mark, making sure he saw me put the lingerie Mimi gave me at my bridal shower under my pillow instead of in the drawer. I planned on putting it to good use tonight.

When we were finished, we found ourselves lying on top of the bed. He rolled over on his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows. "So, Mrs. Mary Cohen, what should we do first?"

I smiled. _Mary Cohen. I liked the sound of that. _"Hmm. I don't know. What time is it?"

He glanced at his watch. "5:43p.m., why?"

"Perfect. Why don't we go out to dinner? And then can we go horse back riding on the beach? I haven't ridden since we had to sell Pye," I reasoned.

"Sure. Whatever…you…want," he said, in-between kisses.

After having dinner at Bali by the Sea, one of Hawaii's most romantic restaurants, we rode horses on the beach for two hours. My horse's name was Snickers and Mark's was Domino. Snickers was a brown and white Paint and Domino was a black and white spotted Appaloosa.

Our ride reminded me of all the cheesy Hollywood movies that all ended with '…and they rode off into the sunset' that I used to make fun of. This time, however, I had no intention of making fun of them. I was the one riding off into the sunset with the love of my life, and I couldn't be happier.

* * *

When we were done riding, we headed back to our suite for the night. Mark complained he was tired, but I had every intention of keeping him up late into the night. I told him to wait in the living room while I got ready.

I went to the bathroom and powered on the Jacuzzi. I put lavender scented bubble bath in the water and smelled the aroma fill the room. I went into the bedroom, took my clothes off, and put on a short, silky bathrobe that Maureen had given me.

I opened the door a crack and watched as Mark was sitting on the couch reading a brochure from the resort. I sneaked up from behind and put my arms around him, trailing kisses up and down his neck and jaw. Somehow or another, we ended up making out on the couch five minutes later. All of the sudden I got up, leaving a puzzled Mark lying on the couch. I turned around when I reached the door of the bedroom, leaned up against it in a seductive pose, and motioned for him to follow me. He leapt up off the couch and met me in the doorway, pushing me up against it and kissing me hard. We made our way into the bathroom where we stripped each other of whatever clothes we had on and got into the bubble-filled Jacuzzi. We sat close to each other, his arm around my shoulders and my head resting on his chest. He brought his head down to kiss me, which lead to us making out again. And the rest of the night only got better from there.

"I love you, Mar."

"I love you, too, Mark."

* * *

I woke up the next morning lying in his arms. Mark had an adorable smirk on his face. I looked over at the digital clock on my nightstand. It read '11:37a.m.' 

We were _supposed_ to go out for breakfast, but we slept too late. Well, I wouldn't exactly say we got much sleep, but it was an enjoyable night, that's for sure.

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**A/N**- Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! Feel free to PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) with any questions! 


	17. Welcome Home

**A/N- **Hey guys! Kait here with my second of three chapters! Hope you liked the last one (and this one, too)!

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

(Title-_Welcome Home_)

The rest of our honeymoon was _amazing_. We had the greatest two months in Hawaii and when it was time to leave, I didn't think I would be able to part with paradise.

"Come on, Marky. Can't we just stay one more night? Please?" I rubbed up against him. "We can use the Jacuzzi one last time," I whispered in his ear. The look on his face was priceless.

He pulled me into a tight hug, stroking my head. "I know, sweetie. _Believe_ me, Mar, I don't want to go, either, but our plane tickets are non-refundable. Maybe we can come back next year for our anniversary. How's that sound?" he asked.

I sighed. "Okay," I smiled. We took one last look around the suite and then headed out.

* * *

The plane ride was _very_ long, but I was kept entertained the whole time. We watched movie after movie after movie, ate lunch and dinner, and then fell asleep. When we landed, Mark shook me awake again. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "We're home." 

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. We got all of our things and headed into the airport. When we walked out we were greeted by our family.

"MARK! MARY! YOU'RE HOME!" Maureen screamed as she ran over to hug us both. Roger, Mimi, and Joanne came over, too, but they couldn't even get to us since Maureen was in 'death-grip' mode.

"Maureen…we…can't…breathe," I said, gasping for air as she hugged me.

Joanne came over and helped. She took Maureen off of us and we caught up with our breathing. We each hugged Roger, Mimi, and Joanne and started to tell them all about our honeymoon. Mark fell behind us a little bit and walked with Roger. Mimi, Maureen, Joanne and I walked ahead of them as I told them all the details.

"Aw, it sounds like you guys had so much fun. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii," Mimi said.

"Was it really as beautiful as all the pictures we've seen?" Joanne asked.

I nodded. "It's even better, Jo."

"Okay, okay, okay. It was beautiful, we got that. How was the sex?" Maureen asked.

"Honeybear!" Joanne exclaimed, slapping Maureen's arm playfully. Mimi started to crack up. I smiled at her.

"It's okay, Jo. Maureen, it was _amazing._ We had a Jacuzzi in the bathroom and a _California king_ sized bed. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger bed in my life! Not that I'm complaining," I told them with a smile. The four of us continued walking to baggage claim. I wondered what Mark and Roger were talking about.

"So, how was it?" Roger asked.

"It was _great. _So romantic. I took tons of pictures of the beach and the resort and, oh, I developed some. Let me find them." He looked in his coat pocket. "Here they—." He was cut off.

"That's _not_ what I meant. How was the sex?" Roger asked.

Mark laughed. "Oh, how was _that?_ It was amazing. We had a California King sized bed. Have you ever seen one of those? It's fucking huge! And we had a Jacuzzi in the bathroom that didn't get much rest for the past two months," he said with a smile.

* * *

Three minutes later, we reached baggage claim. We picked up our suitcases and got three cabs to bring us home. Mark and I were in one, Mimi and Roger in the second, and Maureen and Joanne in the third. Remarkably, the cabs remained right behind each other throughout the entire ride back to the loft. When we reached it, Maureen, Joanne, Mimi, and Roger raced upstairs. 

Mark and I laughed. "Thanks for the help, _guys_," Mark said, sarcastically.

I laughed again. "I wonder what they're up to," I smiled at him. We grabbed our suitcases and walked up the many flights of stairs to the loft. We opened the door. A 'WELCOME HOME' banner was strung across the window. There were balloons everywhere and we were greeted, once again, by our friends.

"WELCOME HOME, UHH, AGAIN!" Roger yelled, blowing a party horn. Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne followed suit. Pretty soon the six of us were sitting on the couch or floor, party hats on our heads, and eating pizza and drinking Stoli.

While everyone else was on their third or fourth drink, I was still finishing my first. I had a terrible stomach ache and I felt nauseous.

Maureen poured herself another drink and complained about how there no more Stoli was left. She got over it, though. She raised her glass and gave a toast. "To Mary and Markyyyyyyyyy! May your mar…mar…marriage-I got it!-last foreber." Her words were jumbled and slurred.

Mark and I laughed. "Thanks, Mo," Mark said.

"Aw. Thanks, honey. That was real-," I hiccupped, feeling the bile rise in my throat. I shot up and ran to the bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Mark followed me and held my hair back as I vomited. When I finished, I flushed the toilet and brushed my teeth.

"Thanks, honey," I said to him.

"No problem. Are you okay?" he wondered.

"I don't know. I didn't even finish my first drink and I'm throwing up already. This can't be right. I've had a stomach ache for the past two hours and I feel _really_ nauseous. I think I'm just going to lie down, okay?" I told him.

"Okay, sweetie. I'll help you get into bed." He brought me into our room and tucked me into bed. He placed a glass of water on my nightstand and a bucket on the floor, just in case I got sick again. He kissed my forehead. "Feel better, Mary. I love you."

"Thanks, I love you, too," I said. He shut the door. I could hear him telling everyone else what had happened. They probably won't remember in the morning, though. They were pretty buzzed.

* * *

That night I couldn't sleep. I felt nauseous all night long and Mark could sense that something was wrong with me from the start. The next morning I woke up and immediately went to the bathroom to throw up again. And again. And again. 

"Mark!" I yelled from the bathroom.

"Yes?" he asked as he ran to me.

"Something's wrong. I can't stop throwing up," I told him.

We thought about what could possibly be wrong with me. Then it hit me.

"Um, Mark? Could I be pregnant?" His icy blue eyes _shot_ open.

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**A/N- **Love it? Hate it? Review please! 


	18. The Test

**A/N-** Hey guys! It's Kait and this is my last chapter for now. Mimi will post her three soon, I hope. Hope you like it! And please—if you read it, REVIEW! )

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(Title- _The Test_)

"Pregnant?" he asked. "But…but…we were careful," he said with a puzzled look on his face.

"I know we were, Mark. But I guess after two months of sex it was bound to happen sooner or later," I joked. I got a smile out of him.

"So, how sure are you? Couldn't this be the flu or something? I mean, throwing up doesn't _have_ to mean you're pregnant, now, does it?"

"Well, no. But I've been really tired for the past week, I'm nauseous now and can't stop throwing up, and there's one more thing that makes me _pretty_ sure," I said, looking down at the floor.

"Well, what is it?"

"I'moveraweeklateandIwasgoingtotellyoubutIdidn'twanttoruinourhoneymoon," I said speedily.

"Okay, _that_ made sense. Slower, please?" he joked, wrapping his arms around me.

I looked up, staring into his bright blue eyes. "I'm over a week late. I was going to tell you, honest, I was. But I didn't want to ruin the end of our honeymoon," I looked away from him. "I'm sorry."

"Mary, look at me." I looked up at him again with sad eyes. "Why would you think that would ruin the honeymoon?"

"I don't know. I mean, I know that we want to have kids in the future, I just didn't think we'd want one so soon. I mean, we _just_ got married two months ago. Isn't it rushing into things?" I asked.

He smiled, kissing me softly on the lips. "Well, if I remember correctly, you're the one who said that you didn't care how fast things were going; you were up for anything," he said.

"Yeah, well, I _did_ say tha-." He cut me off mid-sentence.

"Well then, so am I. If you really are pregnant, then I can't wait to have this baby with you. I love you, Mar, and I'll never stop loving you _and_ this baby." He kissed me passionately. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Thank you, Mark," I whispered. "I love you, too. Forever and ever."

**

* * *

**

We went out later that afternoon and bought a home pregnancy test. The two of us were now sitting on the couch, all alone, waiting for the results. Mimi and Roger had been downstairs at Mimi's apartment all day.

_BEEP!_ It was time to look at the pregnancy test. It was also time for our future to be decided.

I took a deep breath and we walked over together. I picked it up, but quickly put it back down on the table.

"I can't do it, Mark. I'm scared. You look at it." I pushed the stick over to him and covered my tearful eyes with my other hand.

He smiled and picked it up. He compared the pictures on the instructions to the symbol on the pregnancy test. He looked up, smiled, and nodded.

"I am?" I asked, my eyes lighting up.

He nodded again and took me into his arms. "We're gonna have a baby," he whispered in my ear right before he kissed me. The tears poured out of my eyes.

I couldn't stop crying. "I'm…gonna…be…a…mommy! And you're…gonna…be…a…daddy!" I said, in-between sobs.

"I know, honey. I can't wait!" He placed his hands on my flat stomach. He whispered, "See you soon!" to the baby. I smiled at him and placed my hands on top of his.

* * *

We had a doctor's appointment scheduled for three days later. I was sitting upright on the examination table and Mark was sitting in front of me. He took my hand in his and squeezed it.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"A little," I confessed.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Come in," Mark said to the doctor.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Cohen. I'm Dr. Latham," she said, extending her hand. We both shook her hand and introduced ourselves.

"I'm Mary and this is my husband, Mark." We both smiled at her.

"So, what brings you in today?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant. I'm about two weeks late and I've been throwing up and feeling nauseous every day. I took a home pregnancy test and it came back positive, but we just wanted to make sure, so we came here."

"Okay, Mary. I'm going to take your vitals—temperature, blood pressure, you know the drill—and have the nurse draw some blood. That way we can be positive if you're pregnant or not. Sound okay?" she asked. I nodded and let her get to work. The nurse took my blood soon after and told me that the results would be back in around fifteen minutes. We sat and waited until Dr. Latham came back.

"Okay, Mary. You _are_ pregnant. Congratulations, you two."

I smiled and gave Mark's hand a squeeze.

"I'm going to prescribe you with some pre-natal vitamins." She wrote out the prescription and handed it to me. "Now, it looks like you're about three weeks along, so the baby was conceived around," she checked her calendar, "August 22nd. Ring any bells?"

Mark and I looked at each other with grins on our faces. I was the one to break the silence. "Well, we _were_ just on our honeymoon for the past two months, so, _yes_, that rings a bell," I smiled at Mark and Dr. Latham.

She laughed. "Congratulations, you two. On the baby _and_ your marriage," she said with a smile. "Well, everything looks great. Do you have any questions?"

"Actually, I do have one. When is the baby due?" Mark asked.

"I'd say around May 22nd. Anything else?" she asked.

"Nope, that should do it. Thank you!" I said.

"Oh, you're welcome. Please schedule an appointment for three weeks from now. I'll see you then! Have a great day, you two! And congratulations again!" she said as she walked out of the room.

Mark helped me up and we started to walk out of the room. Before we left, I turned around and gave him a big hug and a kiss. "Did you hear that, babe? The baby's due on your birthday," I whispered in his ear, a smile on my face. "Happy birthday, Daddy!"

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**A/N- **Love it? Hate it? Please review! PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) w/ any questions or comments! Thanks for reading!  



	19. The Good News

A/N: hey everyone! it's Mimi (aka Roger Davis' Song of Glory) with my first of three chapts. hope you like!

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CHAPTER NINETEEN  
(chapter title –The Good News)

"Oh my God! You're gonna be a mommy!" Mimi squealed as soon as Mark and I returned home from our doctor's appointment.

"Congrats Mary." Roger said, hugging me. I smiled and hugged him back.

"When are you due?" the couple asked in unison.

"May 22nd." Mark and I answered together.

"That's your birthday Mark!" Roger pointed out.

"I know that, genius!" Mark teased. I laughed as Mimi helped me sit down on the couch.

"Have you decided on baby names yet?" Mimi asked me. I shook my head as Mark sat down next to me and held me close. Roger sat on the other side of Mimi and let out a small cough.

"Rog? You okay?" Mark inquired. Roger nodded as Mimi went to get him some water. I rested my head on Mark's shoulder as he continued to hold me, both his hands on my stomach. I kissed his cheek and rested my head on his chest.

"Here you go, babe." Mimi handed the water to her boyfriend.

"Thanks, Meems." Roger took a long sip of the water.

"You better not get me sick, Rog. I really don't want anything to be wrong with my baby." I told him, my voice serious.

"Don't worry, Mar. I won't get you sick." He reassured me, smiling at Mimi.

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I had gone to my and Mark's room to take a nap while Mimi called Maureen and Joanne about a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Roger and Mark had gone to pick up my prescription medicine from the pharmacy, along with Roger and Mimi's AZT. I dreamt of balloons, ribbons, baby buggies and everything else related to babies when Mimi woke me up, saying that my 'guests' were here. Confused, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed and walked to the living area. Sitting in the living area, were Maureen, Joanne, Mimi and a friend of mine from high school named Kristen.

"Hey you guys!" I greeted them, hugging each one carefully.

"Hey Mar! I haven't seen you since our high school reunion!" Kristen – or Kris – greeted me. It was so great to see her again.

"I've been doing great, Kris! How about you? What are you doing now?" I wanted to know. She smiled and ran a hand through her reddish-blond hair.

"I'm a Homicide Lawyer, so that's a whole lot of fun." She told me, her blue eyes sparkling. I smiled as she and I caught up on the good times – she was married to a man named Justin and she had a two-year-old daughter named April.

"I'm so glad that you're doing okay. I'm so sorry I couldn't make the wedding – April had a doctor's appointment that we couldn't reschedule." Kris told me, handing me a bag with a blue kitten on it. I smiled and took the yellow, blue and pink tissue paper out of the bag and took out a snow globe with a chestnut horse in the middle of it. My eyes welled up with tears as I turned the key at the bottom – a gentle melody of When You Wish Upon A Star played.

"Oh Kris! Thank you!" I told her through my tears. I set the snow globe on the table in front of the couch and continued opening the rest of my gifts – Mimi and Roger had gotten me a photo album; Joanne got me a mobile for the baby's crib that had angels dancing on it and Maureen got me cute baby clothes – both pink and blue.

Kris, Maureen, Joanne, Mimi and I chatted for about an hour when Kris said that she had to relieve Justin of April duty. We said goodbye to her and watched her walk out the door. It was just Maureen, Joanne, Mimi and I sitting there. We chatted for a bit before Maureen said that she had play rehearsal in the morning, so she needed to go. Joanne had work, so she couldn't complain.

"Bye guys!" Mimi and I waved to the girls. Mimi moved to the chair so that I could lie down on the couch. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, but was wide awake when I felt someone carrying me somewhere. I opened my eyes and looked up at the figure. It was Mark.

"Wherewegoing?" I mumbled.

"Our bedroom." He answered, putting me down on the bed and climbed in next to me. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. Mark turned me on my side so that he could put a hand up my shirt and rub my back. He removed my shirt, unsnapped my bra and put some of my favorite body cream on my back. I was too tired to care what he was doing.


	20. Nine Months Later

A/N: hey everyone! it's me (Mimi) again, updating the second of my three chapters. hope you enjoy!

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CHAPTER TWENTY  
(chapter title – Nine Months Later)

"MARK! OH GOD! IT'S HAPPENING!" I screamed from our bedroom. Mark ran into the room and helped me onto my feet and into the clothes that we laid out a week ago. He then grabbed my hospital bag as Roger and Mimi helped me down the stairs and into Roger's car. Mimi and I sat in the back while Roger and Mark sat up front. I tried to control my breathing as Roger turned on the car and drove to the hospital. Mark was using my cell phone to call Maureen and Joanne to let them know I was in labor.

"Mary chica, just breathe." Mimi soothed me, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Mark and I found out at my last doctor's appointment that I was pregnant with twins – a boy and a girl.

"I'm trying to Mimi!" I panted, swallowing hard and tried to stay calm.

"Okay, we're here." Roger announced fifteen minutes later. Mark and Mimi helped me into a wheelchair while Roger went to go park the car. I put my hands on my stomach as Mark and Mimi wheeled me inside. Mimi was told to wait in the waiting room while Mark and I headed to the delivery room.

Once we were inside the delivery room, I was helped into a hospital bed and into a pink hospital gown. My regular doctor, Dr. Latham, was there, along with two nurses – Nurse Thoms and Nurse Menzel. Nurse Thoms was the Delivery Room nurse and Nurse Menzel was the nurse to make sure that the babies got cleaned, weighed and measured.

"You're doing great, Mar! Keep it up!" Mark encouraged me. I let out a grunt and pushed with all my might. I had been in labor for thirteen hours and I was getting tired.

"We have a girl!" Nurse Thoms announced, holding the baby towards us so that we could see her.

"Sara Elizabeth Cohen." I panted. Mark patted my hand and nodded. He cut Sara's umbilical cord and kissed me on the lips. Now the little boy needed to make an appearance.

Ten minutes later, my little boy was born.

"Owen Christopher Cohen." I told the nurse. Mark cut Owen's umbilical cord just as Sara was handed to him. He smiled down at her as Nurse Thoms handed me Owen.

"They're so beautiful." I whispered, adjusting little Owen's blanket so that he could nurse. Mark handed Sara to me and went to the waiting room where Mimi, Roger, Maureen, Joanne, Kris and Justin were waiting.

"Oh my God! Mary! They're beautiful!" Mimi whispered as she, Roger, Maureen, Joanne, Kris and Justin came into the room.

"Thank you." I said, looking down at my babies.

"Can we hold them?" Maureen asked. I nodded as Mark handed her Sara.

"What are their names?" Joanne asked as Mark handed Owen to Kris and Justin.

"The little boy is OwenChristopher and the little girl is Sara Elizabeth." I answered as Mark got out his camera.

"May 22nd, 1997 – two PM Eastern Standard Time. Welcome the newest members of our family – Sara Elizabeth Cohen." He pointed the camera at Maureen and Joanne. "And Owen Christopher Cohen." He pointed the camera at Kris and Justin.

"Happy birthday to you." I sang softly.

"Happy birthday to you  
Happy birthday dear Sara, Owen and Mark  
Happy birthday to you." Everyone joined in, equally as soft.

---------

An hour later, I woke up because I heard crying. I tried to get out of bed, but my arm was stuck to something.

"Hey sweetie." Mark whispered, holding a pink bundle.

"Hi. How are they doing?" I inquired.

"They're fine – Owen's sleeping and I just got done changing Sara." He told me, walking over and sat down next to me. He held Sara so that she was facing us. I could see a few strands of brown hair sprouting on Sara's scalp.

"She's beautiful." I whispered as Mark handed Sara to me so that I could nurse her.

"Just like her mom." Mark watched me nurse our daughter. He stroked her head gently as she latched on and suckled. Just then, Owen began crying. Mark kissed Sara's forehead before getting up and tending to Owen. Mark brought the blue bundle out and soothed him.

"I have my girl and you have your boy." I pointed out.

"Yeah, we do. What are you gonna teach our girl?" Mark inquired, whispering.

"I'm gonna teach her how to measure her life in love." I told him, handing him Sara as I took Owen in my arms and let him nurse.

"What are you gonna teach our boy?" I asked, watching Owen as he nursed.

"How to film." Mark answered, scooting closer and patted Sara's back. She let out a little 'belch'. Both Mark and I laughed as I handed Owen to him.

"I love you, Mark." I told him.

"I love you, too, Mary." He whispered.


	21. Back to Work

A/N: hey everyone! it's me (RDSoG) updating the last of my 3 chapts. i know this is kinda short, but i wanted to add some SUSPENSE to my chapt! so, enjoy!

A/N 2: kaitlin (rentislife0619) will be updating her chapts. soon (i hope).

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE  
(chapter title – Back to Work)

The six weeks that I took off work flew by quickly. As I kissed little Sara and Owen goodbye, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." I told the person. Justin and April walked in the door.

"Hey Justin! Hi April!" I greeted them.

"Hey Mary! How are you doing?" Justin asked as I led them to the bassinets where Owen and Sara were sleeping.

"They're so cute." Justin told me, carefully picking up Sara and holding her. I nodded and stroked Owen's head. He was starting to look like Mark with each passing day.

"So, you guys know what to do?" I asked, grabbing my purse. Justin reassured me that he knew what to do.

"Thank you guys so much for watching them." I thanked Justin as I headed out the door, nearly running into Mimi.

"Sorry Mary! I just wanna see the babies before I go to work!" she told me, heading into the loft. I smiled and headed to work.

---------

"Mary! It's so good to see you!" Joe greeted me as I signed in.

"It's great to see you, too, Joe!" I smiled and handed him a picture of Mark, Sara, Owen and I the day that the twins came home.

"They're beautiful." He whispered in total awe. I smiled and got to work.

Joe really didn't have much for me to do, so I decided to go to the Life Café and have some lunch there. I was halfway there when my cell phone started ringing. I flipped it open and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Honey? It's me – I'm afraid I have some bad news – Roger's in the hospital." I felt tears come to my eyes.

"What hospital?" I asked.

"St. James."

"I'll be right there." I hung the phone up and hailed a cab.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked.

"St. James hospital." I told him. He nodded and drove towards the hospital without another word.


	22. Slipping Away

**A/N-** Hey guys! It's Kait and I'm here with my first of three chapters! Hope you like this one? I'll post the next two tomorrow at the latest. Happy reading! )

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

(Title- _Slipping Away_)

I arrived in the waiting room and saw Mark pacing back and forth. When he saw me he ran over and enveloped me in a tear-filled hug. Seeing him cry made me start to cry all over again.

We broke apart and I looked straight at him, tears streaming down my face. "What happened to him, Mark? Is he okay?"

He looked down and shook his head. "They don't…they don't think he's gonna make it." He let out a big sob, as did I. "Apparently his HIV has progressed to full blown AIDS. And on top of that, he was stabbed. A bunch of fucking idiots mugged and stabbed him, Mar. And the wound…it's infected. The doctors don't think his body's gonna be able to fight it this time." I was speechless. We both cried together and shakily walked down to Roger's room.

We opened the door to find Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne sitting with Roger. Maureen and Joanne were sitting next to each other on the far side of the room. Maureen was in hysterics and Joanne was trying to calm her down. She had tears streaming down her face, too. Mimi was sitting on a chair right next to his bed. She held his hand in hers and had her free hand wiping the tears out of her eyes.

Roger's dormant appearance was haunting. He was hooked up to all sorts of beeping and buzzing machines. He was so pale; it was like he almost blended in with the stark white sheets he was lying on. The scary thing is that this ghost-like appearance couldn't have happened all in one day. It had to progress over time. _Have I been so God damn caught up in being the 'perfect mother' to Sara and Owen that I missed out on Roger becoming even sicker?_ I felt so guilty.

As soon as Mimi realized we were in the room, she got up off of her chair and threw her arms around my neck. We cried on each other's shoulders while Mark had gone to sit with his best friend.

"Is he doing any better, Meems?" She shook her head and let out another loud sob.

"I'm scared, Mar. I can't lose him now. It's too soon. Oh, _God_, it's too soon. What am I going to do without him? He means _everything_ to me, Mar, _everything_," she cried.

"I know, Meems, I know," I said, stroking her head. "He means so much to me, too. Rog is like a brother to me, hun. We'll all be here for you, though. You can count on us, Meems. You won't be alone, babe."

"Thank you," she faintly whispered before joining Roger again.

We spent the rest of the day with Roger. I called Justin a few times to let him know what was going on. He completely understood and told us to take our time getting home.

Roger slept through most of the day, but when he was awake he was in good spirits. It was as if he was oblivious to the fact that his time on Earth was _severely_ limited. Maybe that was a good thing, though. I don't think we would have been able to face him if all he talked about was how he was slipping away.

Roger's doctor, Dr. Grey, made us leave Roger's room at eight o'clock that night. We all put up a big protest but Dr. Grey forced us out sooner or later.

We made our way home in complete silence. The only things in earshot were cars whirring by on the busy streets, horns beeping, and soft crying coming from the five of us.

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**A/N-** Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! Questions? Comments? PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory). 


	23. Reactions

**A/N-** Hey guys! It's Kait again! Here's chapter 23! Hope you like this one? Yeah, so I kind of lied to you before. I said I'd get this chapter and the next one to you by today. Well it's been a busy day so I haven't had time to write much. (I know what you're thinking. _Excuses, excuses._) So tomorrow, hopefully, I'll get 24 out to you!

-Kait

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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

(Title- _Reactions_)

The next three days flew by. Joanne, Maureen, Mimi, Mark and I went to visit Roger every day. Justin was kind enough to watch Owen and Sara for Mark and I while we went to go visit our friend. As much as we want to see Roger recover, it hurts us to see him in so much pain. We only want him to be happy. And Roger's definition of happy was most definitely _not_ lying on a hospital bed for over three days.

When the five of us walked into his room, we were shocked. He looked even worse than before, and let me tell you, it scared the _shit_ out of all of us. I couldn't even begin to imagine the thoughts that were running through my friend's heads as they looked at Roger for the first time today. Well, that's not true. I _did _imagine what their reactions were.

Maureen? Well, Maureen was probably about to break down again. After she began crying on the day Roger came to the hospital, it was like she couldn't stop. After Joanne would get her home she found a way to calm her down, but Maureen _always_ started to cry again upon entering Roger's room. God bless Joanne, though. None of us could make Mo stop crying. I wonder what it is Joanne does. Well, maybe I _don't _want to know now that I think about it. But I bet you she was preparing to do it all over again tonight.

Joanne? She was a hard person to read. I mean, being a lawyer _has_ to take its tolls on you. She definitely doesn't wear her emotions on her sleeve like a lot of our 'family' does. She's, without a doubt, a strong person and I respect that. But seeing her friends sick always makes her break. She's like a pillar—strong until something _really_ hard hits her.

Mimi's reaction? I can't even begin to tell you how many things must be running through her mind. She's losing the love of her life, her _everything_. She's scared, terrified even. Nothing's harder than losing someone you love. And it must be ten times harder on Mimi because she knows that she'll die of complications from the same disease. I honestly don't know what I would do if I were in her situation. I couldn't imagine losing Mark. God _knows_ this can't be easy on her. I just wish there were something I could do for her, but there's really nothing any of us can do but pray for a miracle.

And Mark? I know he usually holds his emotions in, hides behind his camera, but I can see it in his eyes. _He's fucking terrified._ Roger and him are best friends, have been from the get-go. And even though they have their differences, they'd be lost without each other. I know for a fact that Roger and Mark know more secrets about each other than anyone else in our 'family'. Hell, Roger knows more about Mark than _I_ do. One; they've known each other the longer; and two, there's probably some secrets in there that I _don't _want to or need to know.

As for me? I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was this really Roger? No, it couldn't be. Roger…he was in such good spirits the past few days. Even though he knew he didn't have much time—the doctor said it was only a matter of days because the infection was too strong for his immune system to fight—he didn't let that get to him. He wanted to spend his last days surrounded by his friends, which he was, in a way.

It was like clockwork, actually. Every day at exactly eight pm, Dr. Grey came in and kicked us out, rambling on and on about how Roger needs his rest to recover. Grey knew _damn_ well he _wasn't _going to recover,—he said so himself— and why he was feeding us this 'You have to leave _now_!' bullshit is beyond me.

I'm so scared, though. He's not gone yet, but we all know it's close. I can't even begin to imagine how we're all going to survive without Roger around.

No more faint guitar riffs being played at ungodly hours of the night.

No one to scream at Mark when he reminds them to take their AZT. (Mimi obviously takes it but doesn't complain.)

No uncle for Sara and Owen.

No best friend for Mark.

No one left for Mimi to love.

No more Roger.

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**A/N-** Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! Questions? Comments? PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory). 


	24. Eerie Silences

**A/N**-Here's chapter 24! It's my last chapter for now. Mimi will contribute her three chapters soon! Let us know how you liked it!

-Kaitlin

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CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Title- _Eerie Silences_

Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days. As terrified as we were, we could feel the end coming closer and closer. The five of us walked into St. James hospital, once again, in silence. None of us knew what to say or if we should even say anything at all.

Mimi walked ahead of the rest of us and opened Roger's door. Seeing him lay there brought tears to her eyes. She quickly wiped them away in an attempt to stay strong in front of Roger. Mark, Maureen, Joanne, and I all waited outside of his room, giving the couple their privacy. The door to the room was open and I watched the two of them interact.

* * *

Roger opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of Mimi in front of him. "Hey, Meems," he said, his voice hoarse. He patted the spot next to him on the hospital bed, wanting her to sit with him. She sat down and touched his cheek.

"Hi, baby. How ya feeling?" she asked, trying her hardest _not_ to let him see the tears ready to stream down her face.

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Ehh, not too great. I just wish I was back at the loft with you guys." He looked down, fiddling with his blanket. "Hey, Meems?"

"Yeah, Rog?"

"I love you so much, you know that, right?" he said slowly. He couldn't talk as fast as he'd used to be able to.

Mimi nodded. "I love you, too, Rog, so much," she told him, tears beginning to fall. They sat in silence, looking into each other's eyes for a bit. "Rog, I—I'm," she began.

"What, babe?"

She started crying even harder. "I'm scared. I'm scared that I can't live without you. I'm scared that I'm not gonna be able to handle this and I'm afraid of being alone. And I know that's selfish, but it's true. You mean everything to me, Rog. _Everything_." She smiled through her tears. "I owe my life to you, you know that? If it weren't for you, I'd have been dead a long time ago. You helped me through everything and you gave me something to fight for, to live for." She paused to wipe her eyes. Roger had started tearing up as well. "You're the reason I wake up each morning. I'm just scared that I won't have a reason to live for when…when…" Even though she couldn't finish her sentence, Roger knew the ending perfectly well.

Mimi put her head on his chest, being careful not to touch the stab wounds on the side of his abdomen, and they cried together. From where she was lying she could see his heart monitor. She had a feeling something was wrong—his blood pressure was steadily dropping—but she didn't say anything to Roger.

"Meems, listen to me," Roger said, his voice almost inaudible. "I know this might be hard for you to accept, but I'm not gonna be around for much longer. You don't know how badly I want to jump off of this bed and get the hell out of here," he smiled. "But, I can't, babe. And sitting here all week, I've learned to accept the fact that I'm not gonna be around forever. I need you to do the same , Meems. I love you so much, babe, and you don't know how hard it's going to be to die knowing that I left you alone," he said through his tears. "I want you to promise me something, okay?"

She nodded, noticing the heart monitor continue to slow down. "Anything, Rog, anything."

"Promise me that you'll try to move on. I don't want you to forget me, but please don't do what I did after April died. I want you to live life to the fullest, babe, and don't dwell on my death. I couldn't forgive myself for letting you do that. Just know that," his breathing slowed, "I'll always love you," he paused to take a deep breath, "no matter what."

Mimi nodded again, this time tears pouring out of her eyes. She stroked his chin and sang to him in a low whisper, "_I should tell you, I should tell you. I have always loved you. You can see it in my eyes,"_ before he slipped away forever.

* * *

Outside of the room, the four of us watched as Mimi clung to Roger's chest, begging for him to come back to life. His song brought her back to life; why couldn't it work on him, too?

None of us could move. An eerie silence washed over us; the only sound came from Mimi's now faint cries and the heart monitor's constant _beep_. As the tears poured out of our eyes, no one made a sound.

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**A/N-** Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! Questions? Comments? PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory). 


	25. One Hand, One Heart

A/N: hey guys! it's Mimi updating my first of three chapts. i've been in AZ for two weeks and it's so good to be home. anyway, this chapter's kinda sad, but i included Kris in it. yay (?).

A/N 2: if you read, LEAVE A REVIEW (please)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE  
(chapter title - One Hand, One Heart)

_Make of our hands one hand  
__Make of our hearts one heart  
__Make of our vows one last vow  
__Only death can part us now…_

I sang that song in my head over and over. This was just like Tony's death scene in the musical tragedy West Side Story. But of course, this was an actual person - not some character in a musical.

I cried long and hard into Mark's shirt. He held me and cried, but not as hard as I was crying right now.

"I'm gonna stay here with Roger and Mimi." Mark whispered in my ear. I shook my head, my hair coming out of the braid I had spent two hours doing that morning.

"I wanna stay, too." I was starting to sound like a fucking five-year-old.

"Mary, no. You go home to Sara and Owen - they need you." Mark told me between sobs.

"Kris and Justin are watching them." I said, breaking away from him and getting a Kleenex out of my pocket and dabbed my eyes with it.

"Kris and Justin have work in the morning, plus they have April to look after." Mark argued. I so did not want to argue with him right now.

"I'll call them and see if they could stay for a while longer." I said, sneaking to a quiet corner of the room and dialed the loft. After a while Justin's sleepy voice answered.

"Hello?" he croaked.

"Justin. It's M-Mary. I have some b-b-bad n-news." I swallowed, hard.

"Hold on, let me get Kris." he put the phone down and went to wake his sleeping wife. I heard him whisper 'Mary' and feet walking towards the phone.

"Hey Mary bear. What's wrong?" for an extremely happy person, Kris was starting to get on my nerves.

"Kris, it's Mary. R-R-Roger j-j-just d-d-d-d-d-died." I sobbed. I heard her gasp and tell Justin.

"What hospital are you guys at?" she asked.

"St. James."

"I'll be right there." with that, she hung up the phone. I nodded and closed my phone. I felt tears stream down my cheeks as I went to sit next to Mark. I rested my head on his shoulder as I told him that Kris was coming in a few minutes. He nodded, knowing that she would surely know how to calm Mimi down.

------------

Ten minutes later, Kris comes up to us. Her eyes are red and puffy, but other than that, she looks good. She's wearing a blue sweater and jeans - not typical for a Homicide Lawyer, but what the hell.

"Hey everyone." she greeted us, her usually happy voice was now grave and sad.

"Hey Kris." we greeted her in unison, not bothering to stand up and hug her - except for Joanne. She and Kris knew each other through law school. Joanne stroked Kris' ponytail as she whispered something in Kris' ear. Kris nodded sadly, looked at me and headed into the hospital room where Roger and Mimi were. I could hear and see everything.

"Mimi?" Kris called. Mimi looked up at Kris - tears streaming down her cheeks. Kris pulled Mimi into a hug and the two of them cried together. Kris rubbed Mimi's back in small circles and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"It'll be okay, babe. He's in a better place now." Kris soothed. "He's in heaven with the angels and the white clouds - who knows - maybe he'll see Collins and Angel." she drew Mimi close to her and continued to hug her tight. Mimi cried into Kris' shoulder and that was the only sound that all of us could hear.

_Now it begins, now we start  
__One hand, one heart  
__Even death won't part us now.

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_

A/N: don't own the lyrics to One Hand, One Heart. belongs to respected owner. 'nuff said.

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	26. I Can't Believe This Is Goodbye

A/N: hey everyone! it's Mimi (RDSoG) updating yet another chapt. of The New Bohemian. i know it's sad so far, but the end is closer than you might think. also, there _might _be a sequel. who knows?

A/N 2: if you guys read, REVIEW! that's all. also, enjoy!

A/N 3: like? hate? email or PM me (roger davis' song of glory) or my fab. co-author Kait (rentislife0619)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX  
(chapter title - I Can't Believe This Is Goodbye)

The day of Roger's funeral was cold, rainy and wet. All of us were going - including the twins, Kris, Justin and April. I told them that they really didn't have to come, but they wanted to. I nodded and followed everyone to the church - the same church where Collins' and Angel's funerals had taken place. As Mark and I carried the twins' car seats to the church, I made sure that the plastic parkas had holes big enough so that Sara and Owen didn't get wet and didn't choke on the plastic.

--------------

Looking outside one last time before heading inside the church, I sat in the front pew next to Mark and put Sara's car seat on the other side of me while Mark did the same with Owen. The others filed in behind us - Kris, Justin and April were in the pew behind Mark and I. Mimi was sitting with Maureen and Joanne in one of the pews on the other side of the aisle way.

In the middle of the service, Owen started crying, so I took him into the lobby to calm him down. The twins were now three weeks old and getting more independent with each passing day. As I fed Owen his formula, the door opened and Justin, along with April, came walking through the doors.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Hi." Justin echoed. He looked at Owen in my arms.

"You okay?" I asked, still whispering. He nodded and looked at April. She was three years old today - Roger's funeral. Today was not a good day to be happy.

After Owen finished his formula, I burped him and quietly walked back into the church, tears running down my face. Justin opened the door for me and followed me to the pews. I nodded at Roger's family sitting in the pews behind our loving 'family'.

"Now my wife, Mary, would like to say a few words." Mark concluded as I put Owen back in his car seat. I nodded and went up to the stage - I was so nervous and afraid that I was gonna start crying in front of all these people. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly let it out and told the story about how I had first 'officially' met Roger.

"When I first met Roger, he was Mark's roommate and best friend. I moved here five years ago and instantly fell in love with Mark. As I got to know Mark, I also got to know Roger and his wonderful girlfriend, Mimi." I smiled briefly at her and continued on. "One day, the four of us were in Central Park for a day of fun when one of us - I can't remember who exactly - suggested that we go horseback riding. I haven't been riding since we had to sell my horse, Pye, but that's a whole 'nother story." I shook my head and continued on. "Well, anyway, we get our horse assignments - Conn, Zeke, Splash and Foxy. And let me tell you, being on that horse was one of the happiest days of my life and I'm glad that I got to spend it with one of my closest friends and second brother." with that, I went down the three steps that went from the alter to the pews. I sat down next to Mark - I had moved Owen's car seat so that the twins were sleeping next to each other - and buried my face in his coat and cried my eyes out.

--------------

After the funeral, Mark, the twins, Kris, Justin, April and I headed back to the loft for chit chat when Kris' cell phone rang. As she went to a quiet corner to answer it, Mimi came jogging up to us, tears in her eyes. I handed her Owen's car seat, knowing that if she held the infant, everything would somehow be okay. Kris came walking over to us and pulled Justin in a corner and whispered softly to him. I saw him nod and say 'okay' a few times before kissing her and walking back over to us.

"What's going on, Justin?" Mark inquired as I watched Kris hail a taxi.

"There was a homicide in Brooklyn and since Kris is on call this week, she has to go." Justin told us. I knew that he didn't want Kris to go, but she had no choice.

"That's okay, Justin. I'm just so glad that she went on call when she did." Joanne spoke up, wrapping an arm around Mimi's shoulders. Mimi didn't even look up from holding Owen - I knew he meant everything to her, just like Roger did. Mark and I were planning to make Roger and Mimi our twins' honorary godparents, but then Roger got mugged and things just went downhill from there.

"Plus, you get to hang out with us." Maureen spoke up, brushing the tears out of her eyes. Justin smiled slightly at her before scooping April up onto his shoulders. The little toddler just giggled and asked us questions about the funeral and about Roger. We were more than happy to answer all her questions, no matter how sad we were it was still nice to talk to her - for a three-year-old, she really didn't say very much.

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It had stopped raining long enough for all of us to take two carriage rides around the city - Mark, the twins and I were in one carriage while Justin, April, Mimi, Joanne and Maureen were in the other. I held Owen on my lap so that he could look out and see everything around him. Sara, on the other hand, had fallen asleep in Mark's lap.

When we reached the loft, it was a quarter to six - Justin and April headed home, followed by Maureen and Joanne. They thanked us for the carriage ride and waved goodbye, heading back out into the cold air.

I wasn't feeling good, so I went to my and Mark's room to take a little nap. I could hear Mimi and Mark with the twins - laughing and having fun with them.

_There's only us  
There's only this  
Forget regret or life is yours to miss  
No other road  
No other way  
No day but today_


	27. Everything's Happening So Fast

A/N: hey everyone! it's Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) updating my third and final chapter of The New Bohemian. my wonderful co-author, Kait (rentislife0619) will be updating her 3chapts. soon (i hope).

A/N 2: if you read this story, REVIEW! (please!)

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN  
(chapter title - Everything's Happening So Fast)

It's been about a month since Roger died. Mimi's HIV has now turned into full-blown AIDS and she's constantly weak. Justin has been taking care of her for about four weeks now. Mark has donated some money from working at Buzz Line for a memorial for Roger - it's just a small plaque that reads

_In loving memory of a special friend  
__Roger Samuel Davis  
__1970-1997  
__No Day But Today_

I cried when Mark showed me the plaque. He wrapped an arm around me and held me close.

"It's okay sweetie." Mark whispered in my ear. I looked up at him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"I know he's in a happier place, but I miss him like crazy." I told him in-between sobs. He nodded and held me close. I knew what it felt like to lose someone (or something) special to you - take me for example - I had no mom, no dad, no Roger, no Angel, no Collins, no best friend (Mark was my living one; Rose was my dead one) and so many other things that I wanted, but couldn't have.

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A month later, Kris, Justin, Mark and I were on a walk when my cell phone rang. It was Maureen's number.

"Hello?"

"Mary? It's me, Maureen."

"I know, hun. What's up?"

"Mimi wants to say 'goodbye' to you."

"Maureen, wait! What do you mean by 'goodbye'?" I inquired. I stopped walking and felt Kris', Justin's and Mark's eyes watching me, waiting for something to happen. Mimi had been getting weaker with each passing day, which was hard on all of us, especially Kris and Justin who had really gotten to know Mimi better through Mark and I. Shooting Mark a confused look, I took a deep breath and had one of my last conversations with Mimi.

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As I handed my cell over to Kris so that she could talk to Mimi, Justin came over to me and gave me a big bear hug. He knew that that was the one thing that almost always cheered me up. I smiled slightly and hugged him back equally as hard. I had tears running down my cheeks, but I didn't care.

"Baby, hurry up. We need to get home and put April down for her nap." Justin whispered in Kris' ear. She nodded, said 'bye' to Mimi, hung up and hugged me. I hugged her back and watched the two of them walk back to their apartment. Mark took my hand in his, his fingers intertwining with mine. Joanne had the day off work and generously agreed to watch Sara and Owen for us while we were on our walk.

"I was thinking about something." Mark spoke up.

"What?" I asked as we walked home.

"What about making Kris and Justin the twins' godparents?" Mark suggested. I actually liked that idea.

"Honey, that's a wonderful idea!" I told him, kissing him lightly on the lips. He smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Remember the twins have an appointment with Dr. Pascal tomorrow." Mark reminded me, pulling me close to him. Dr. Pascal was our pediatrician - he was really sweet, funny and just wonderful with the twins. Tomorrow, they were going in to get some shots and their regular checkup, so it was no big deal actually. I had an appointment with Dr. Latham in about a week. She just wanted to make sure that everything was going okay. I just hoped that it was nothing too serious - like cancer, disease or anything like that. If it was serious or not, I knew that Mark would be right there by my side, no matter what happened.


	28. Doctors and Babysitters

A/N: hey everyone! It's Kait (rentislife0619) updating my first of three chapters. Sorry these three chapters have taken so long! I went up to my Aunt's lake house for the 3rd and 4th of July, started a new job at a daycare (which is so tiring), and then I got sick. Not my best week, that's for sure. So, bear with me for now, please.

A/N 2: if you read this story, REVIEW! (please!)

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CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Title- Doctors and Babysitters

The next morning, Mark and I took Sara and Owen to see Dr. Pascal, the twins' pediatrician. He gave them both a thorough checkup and a good bill of health.

Dr. Pascal looked through Owen and Sara's charts. "Owen and Sara are doing great. They're in excellent health so there's nothing to worry about for the moment." He flipped through his papers and made his way to the vaccination charts. "However, they are due for four shots each. They'll need their diphtheria, flu, polio, and pneumococcal vaccines. I'll have the nurse do that now if that's alright with the two of you," he told us.

We both shook our heads. "Sure, that'd be fine," Mark told him.

Dr. Pascal smiled. "Great, I'll have Nurse Katherine give them their vaccines right away." He opened the door. "Kath, can you come here for a second?" She made her way to the doorway. "Can you grab two sets of DTaP, Hib, polio, and PCV vaccines and administer them to Sara and Owen?"

"Sure, doctor. I'll be right back." She waved to us and went on her way.

"Okay, guys. I'm done for now. The twins look great and they're very healthy. I'd like to see them in, oh, about a month, for another checkup."

Mark and I stood up and shook his hand. "Great, Dr. Pascal. We'll see you then!" I said with a smile.

"See you soon, doctor," Mark said.

"Alright, have a good day, you two!" he told us. He walked over to Sara and Owen and smiled. "Bye-bye, Sara! Bye-bye, Owen!" he said in a soft voice, waving as he spoke. He then exited the room as Nurse Katherine walked in with the shots.

We said hello to the nurse and got Sara and Owen ready for their shots. I picked up Sara and Mark held Owen. Katherine prepared the vaccines and started with Owen. She gave him all four shots while he screamed the entire time. He's usually the fussy one; Sara's a lot calmer than he is, except when it comes to shots. As soon as the nurse came towards her with the needles, she screamed bloody murder. She finished the four shots in no time.

"All done!" Nurse Katherine said. She placed all eight needles in the biohazard bin and threw her gloves in the garbage. "I'll see the four of you in a month! Have a great day!" she said.

"You too," Mark and I said in unison. We placed Owen and Sara back in their carriers, made the twins' next appointment, and went on home.

When we got back to the loft, we put Owen and Sara down for a nap—they had fallen asleep during the short car ride home. Mark and I snuggled on the couch and decided to watch a movie. Mark got up and went to the movie rack.

"Umm, all we have are Disney movies. Is that okay, Mar?" he asked

I nodded. "You of all people should know I can't pass up the chance to watch a Disney movie. It's a guilty pleasure of mine," I smiled. He laughed.

"Okay, what'll it be? We can watch _Aladdin_, _The Fox and the Hound_, _Lady and the Tramp,_ _The Lion King, Alice in…"_

"_The Lion King!_ It's my favorite Disney movie!" I told him. "Put it in while I go make us some popcorn."

"Okay, just don't burn it like last time. That was horrible," he joked while making a disgusted face.

"Ha ha. Very funny," I said sarcastically as I put the popcorn bag in the microwave. I heard Mark snickering in the background.

We soon found ourselves on the couch watching the movie. Mark's back was leaning on the arm rest, one of his legs hanging off of the couch. I sat in between Mark's legs and was lying against his chest. His arms were wrapped around me, resting on my stomach.

We both had fallen asleep during the middle of the movie and were sleeping soundly next to each other. Owen and Sara had woken up from their naps and were both crying softly. I heard them on the baby monitors; Mark hadn't woken up yet. I got up off of the couch, stretched a bit, and went to tend to my two beautiful children.

* * *

A week has gone by since we took Owen and Sara to Dr. Pascal. Now it's my turn to go to the doctor, and let me tell you, I'm terrified. Mark is at work but he's getting off early to take me. I decided to call around to see if anyone could watch Sara and Owen while we were at the doctor's. 

I called Justin and Kris first. I dialed their number and Kris answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kris. It's Mary."

"Oh, hey sweetie. What can I do for you?"

"I need a favor. Can you watch Sara and Owen later today? I have an appointment with Dr. Latham and Mark's taking me."

"Oh, sorry, Mar. Justin's at work and I'm on call today. You know I would watch them, but there's like a 99.9 percent chance I'll get called in. It's New York-there's bound to be a homicide _somewhere_."

I laughed. "True. Well, thanks anyway. I'll just call Maureen and Joanne."

"Maureen? You sure she can handle the twins?"

I sighed. "I guess she'll have to. But Joanne will be there, right? So there's nothing to worry about. She's good with kids."

"Um, I just talked to Jo last night, actually. She's in court all day-something about an abusive father and his daughter-oh, I don't know. But I _do_ know that Maureen's the only one home."

I gulped. "_Great_. Well, I'd better call her, then."

She laughed. "Good luck with that. I'll talk to you la-"

"Oh! One more thing before I forget."

"Yeah?"

"I probably should do this face to face, but knowing me, I'd forget. Mark and I were wondering if you and Justin would like to be Sara and Owen's godparents."

Even though I couldn't see her, I _knew_ her eyes were tearing up and she was smiling. "Oh, Mary! Of course we would. We'd be honored. Justin's gonna be so excited when I tell him."

I smiled, too. "Great, Kris. Thank you so much, really. We'll discuss the details later, but I really need to go call Maureen now. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck! Talk to you soon, Mar. Bye."

"Bye, Kris." I hung up the phone. I sighed before picking it back up again. I had to call Maureen and ask her to watch Sara and Owen. It wouldn't be _that_ bad, right? Maureen's an adult; she can handle taking care of the twins.

I forced myself to believe that Maureen could handle this before I called her. I dialed her number and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Maureen."

"Oh, hey Mary. What's up?"

"Would you be able to watch the twins for Mark and I? It'll only be for about an hour and-"

"YES! I'D _LOVE_ TO! Oh, we're gonna have so much fun! I'll take them to the park and the zoo and a museum and the performance space and out to lunch and to-"

"Maureen." She kept rambling on and on. "_Maureen,"_ I said a little more stern. She _still _kept going. "MAUREEN!"

"What?"

"They're only a few months old. Save all that for another day. _Or year." _I muttered that last part under my breath.

She sounded hurt. "Oh, okay. But we'll still have fun. What time should I come over?"

"Um, can you come over now? I have a few things I want to show you before I leave."

"Yeah. Give me ten minutes and I'll be there."

"Okay. Thanks, Mo. See you in ten."

"Okay. Bye."

I hung up the receiver. _What the hell did I just get myself into? _

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**A/N-** Love it? Hate it? Review and let us know! Questions? Comments? PM me (rentislife0619) or Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory). 


	29. Aunt MoMo!

**A/N-**Here's chapter 29! Sorry about the wait for this chapter-things are really crazy right now and I have a wierd schedule that changes every day. Hope you like it!

-Kaitlin (rentislife0619)

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Title- Aunt Mo-Mo!

Maureen arrived at the loft about ten minutes after we hung up. I wanted her to come over a bit earlier to go over some things with her. Mark and I have never left Owen and Sara alone with Maureen since, well, _ever._ I won't lie to you-I'm scared out of my mind. I mean, I can trust Maureen for the most part, but when it comes to leaving my children's' lives in her hands, I'm a bit nervous. Scratch that-I'm _terrified. _

Right now, Maureen was sitting on the couch while I got Owen and Sara up from their naps. I brought them both out and handed Sara to Maureen.

"Okay, so I just want to go over a few things before I leave," I told her. I started to tell her things about taking care of the twins, but instead of listening to me, she was playing with Sara.

She made a funny face and Sara began laughing at her. "Are you laughing at me, Sar-bear? Are _you_ laughing at _me?_"

"Maureen? Are you listening to me?"

She completely ignored me. "Oh, yes, Sara. You are the _cutest_ baby! Yes you are! _Yes you are!_"

"MAUREEN!"

"What?"

"Listen to me! I've been talking the whole time and you didn't hear a word of it!"

"No, I was listening. Honest, Mary, I was."

I smirked. "Okay, then. What did I say?"

"Umm…you said that…that…"

"Right. Okay then, do you promise to listen to me this time?" She nodded. To make sure that she did listen, I took Sara away from her and held both Owen and Sara myself.

"Alright, Mark and my cell phone numbers are by the phone in the kitchen. And the other emergency contacts are posted on the fridge." Maureen nodded as I spoke.

"Um, their formula is in the fridge. Just heat it up a bit and it'll be good to go." Maureen nodded again. _Thank God she's listening. _

Owen started crying, making Sara start to scream, too. "Maureen, take Owen for me, will ya?"

"Yeah, sure Mar." She picked Owen up and started to make funny faces at him. I guess she thought they would calm him down, but they made him even more scared. "Shh, Owen. It's okay. Aunt Mo-Mo's here for—"

"_Aunt Mo-Mo_?" The expression on my face must have been priceless.

"What?"

"What type of name is 'Aunt Mo-Mo'?" I tried to control my laughter.

"What? You don't like it? I thought it was cute!"

I started laughing even harder. "Maureen! It makes you sound like…never mind. It's great, okay? Now show me that you can calm Owen down, okay?"

Maureen nodded. She talked to Owen in a baby voice and he calmed down relatively quickly. _Maybe she _can_ do this! _

"Okay, _Aunt Mo-Mo_, can you change Owen's diaper for me? Sara needs to be changed, too, but I can change her's."

Maureen's eyes widened and she started to stutter. "I…I…I've never…"

"You've never changed a diaper before?"

She shook her head. "What? I'm the youngest in my family and all my cousins are older than me! I've had no reason to change diapers-ever!"

I sighed very loudly and rolled my eyes. "Okay, Maureen. I'll show you. It's really not that hard, honest." I stood up and brought Sara to the changing table. Maureen placed Owen on his changing table, right next to Sara's. She watched me change Sara and I told her to try Owen's. I stood there watching her until she spoke up.

"C-can you not watch me do it? I-I get nervous when people stand over me like that. Just come back in five minutes. I'll be done, I promise."

I sighed. "Okay, Maureen. I'll be back." I picked Sara up and went to go watch a movie with her. I popped a Baby Einstein video in and she watched intently.

Five minutes were up. I got up, Sara in my arms, and opened the nursery door. Maureen stood before me, covered with baby powder and diaper rash cream. Owen, however, was diapered perfectly. "I'm not even gonna _ask_, Maureen."

"Good idea, Mar. But, I did it, _right_? See!" She held my son before me and showed me her 'creation'.

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm not gonna ask how, but you did it." I smiled at her, took Owen, and brought him into the living room to watch the movie. Maureen went in the bathroom to wash the baby powder off of her. Her dark brown curls had been turned white from the powder and she was desperate to get them back to their true color. She came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, refreshed and cleaned up.

"Okay, Maureen. I've got to head out. I'm meeting Mark at the Life in ten minutes and then we're going to Dr. Latham's for my appointment."

"Yeah, what're you going to see her for anyway?"

I looked down. _Should I tell her the truth? No, not until after I go to the doctors. _"Um, nothing important. I'll tell you more about it later, okay?" I felt bad not telling her the truth, but it had to be done.

She nodded. "See you soon!" She looked over at Owen and Sara. "Say bye-bye to Mommy!" Sara and Owen giggled a bit. I went over, kissed both of their foreheads, and headed out the door. Little did I know that when I returned home, my life would be changed forever.

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**A/N-** Ooh-a cliffhanger. What's Mary going to the doctor's for? Let me know what you think in your review!  
-Kait 


	30. Broken Mugs and Mark's Hugs

_**A/N-** Hey guys! Kait (rentislife0619) here with my last chapter for now. So sorry about the wait on this chapter! I'm horrible at updating quickly, I know. Don't kill me! And if you read, PLEASE REVIEW! We aren't getting a lot of reviews for this story and it's starting to make me kind of upset. And upset authors means torture for the characters...and you don't want that, now, do you? I didn't think so. So be a doll and review! Thanks! _: )  
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CHAPTER THIRTY

_Title- Broken Mugs and Mark's Hugs_

I walked down the busy streets of New York City in a daze. I was pretty scared for this doctor's appointment. Actually, the only person who knew what the appointment was for was Mark.

When I walked into the Life Café, I found Mark sitting in our usual seats, his head buried in the menu. I sat down, but he didn't notice me until I spoke. "Hi, honey," I said.

He looked up. "Oh, I didn't see you there. How are you?" He stood up, leaned over the table, and kissed me.

"Scared. Just…scared," I told him.

He reached across the table and took my hands into his. "I know you are, sweetie. But there's nothing to worry about. Everything's fine. Don't freak yourself out, okay?"

All I could do was nod and look down, for I was suddenly interested in the 'Life' logo on the menu.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you this in the morning, but who'd you leave Sara and Owen with?" He took a sip of his soda.

"Maureen." He spewed his soda all over the table.

"_Maureen?_ Maureen _Johnson? _Has she ever even babysat by herself before?"

I shook my head. "Oh, you'd be surprised, Marky. After she got over the initial shock of changing diapers, she did just fine. I trust her now."

Mark just laughed. "The words _Maureen _and _trust_ should _never_ be used in the same sentence!" he joked. "You sure they're alright with her?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they'll be fine. Don't worry, honey."

"Okay, but if she screws this up _I'm_ picking out the babysitters from now on."

"Sure, Mark, whatever you say."

The rest of our time at the café was spent eating and talking about anything _but_ the appointment. I had a seaweed salad and Mark had miso soup. When we were finished eating, I glanced down at my watch. "Mark, we'd better get going. If we don't leave now we're going to be late."

"Oh, okay." He slurped up the last of his soup and waved to the waiter so he could get the check.

After he paid for lunch, we began our four block walk to Dr. Latham's office. We arrived, signed in, and sat in the waiting room. I sat down in the orange chair with my legs crossed, hands trembling in my lap, and a blank stare on my face

"Mary Cohen?" the nurse called, seeming slightly agitated and very impatient. Mark nudged my shoulder.

"That's us, Mar." The color drained from my face as I was taken out of my daze. He stood up and helped me out of the chair. We walked to the room and waited for the doctor to arrive. Mark took my hand and squeezed it. "Mar, don't worry. Everything will be fine." He kissed my hand and set it down back on my lap, still squeezing it periodically.

About five minutes later there was a knock on the door. I didn't even notice Dr. Latham had come in until Mark snapped me out of my daze again.

"Hi, Mary. Hi, Mark. How are you two today?" Dr. Latham asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Mary, on the other hand…well, I'm not quite sure what to say about her."

"Oh? Well let's just ask her." She looked at me. "Mary, how're you feeling today?"

I shook my head, coming out of a trance. "I'm okay." I paused. Dr. Latham looked skeptical. "Okay, that's a lie." Mark squeezed my hand again.

"It's okay, Mary. Just tell me what's wrong. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

I nodded and sighed. "Well, it all started last week at work…"

_---_

**Flashback-One week earlier**

_I walked into Joe's Book Shop, bracing myself for another day of boring work. At least my co-workers were fun. I went into the office and put my coat on the hanger. I punched in and—oww! I got a paper cut on my forefinger from the timecard .It wasn't that bad so I didn't bother to do anything about it. _

_I walked out of the office and looked up to see Cassie, my co-worker, running frantically around the bookstore. In her hands, she held a coffee mug and five thick books that she couldn't see very well over. She looked like she was having trouble so I went over to help her. _

"_Need any help, Cassie?" I asked as I ran over to her._

"_Yeah, Actually, that'd be great," she said, starting to walk over towards me. _

"_Mary? Is that you?" Joe, my boss and the owner of the bookstore called out. _

_I stopped walking towards Cassie and turned my head in his direction. "Yeah, it's me. I just got her a few minutes ago. I'm gonna help Cassie. Is that alr-oof!" Cassie ran right into me, causing both of us to fall over. She fell right onto her mug, which had shattered upon hitting the ground. She had cuts all over her arms that were bleeding all over the carpet._

_I immediately started to help her pick the chipped mug out of her arm. She pulled away as if she was scared of my touch. "No! Don't touch me! I'm fine, really," she yelled. _

_I took her arm again. "Cassie, look at your arm. It's a mess. I've got to help you clean it out."_

_She pulled away, yet again. "NO, you don't! Don't you understand me? DON'T TOUCH ME!"_

_I pulled away. "Well, why the hell not? I was just trying to—"_

"_I have HIV." _

_I immediately looked down to my finger, the finger with the fresh paper cut. It was _covered_ in blood. _

**End of Flashback**

**---**

When I finished telling the story, Mark instantly put his arm around my shoulders and hugged me tightly.

"Oh, Mary. I'm so sorry to hear that. Well, thank goodness you came to see me." She paused. "Now, as a precaution, have you switched Owen and Sara to formula instead of breast milk?" We both nodded.

"Of course," I said.

"And you two haven't been sexually active since the incident, correct?" We nodded again.

She looked down at my medical charts. "Better safe than sorry, right? Right. Okay, I'm gonna have Nurse Hannah come draw some blood and we'll have your labs back as soon as possible. Hang in there, okay?"

I nodded, slowly slipping back into my trance. Mark sat there, squeezing my hand the whole time.

Dr. Latham left and Hannah, the nurse, took her place. She drew my blood without uttering a single word. She left the room in a dash and went to go bring the blood to get tested.

I didn't even know I had been crying until I felt a tear fall freely onto my hand. Mark wiped the tears away and hugged me tightly. "I love you, Mary," he whispered. And it was then that I knew everything would be okay. I had someone that will love me unconditionally, through the good times and bad. It was the best feeling in the world and I was _never_ gonna let it go.


	31. Girls Day Out

A/N: hey everyone! it's Mimi (aka Roger Davis' Song of Glory) updating my two chapters - yes, i said TWO. there's only one more chapt. after this before the end of the story - so that means that we need more REVIEWS!

A/N 2: we're now accepting anonymous reviews, so don't be afraid to review!

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CHAPTER THIRTY- ONE  
(chapter title – Girls Day Out)

As soon as Mark and I returned home from the doctor's office, I told Maureen that she could go home.

"What was your appointment about?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later." I told her, brushing the tears out of my eyes. She nodded, stood up and hugged me.

"Oh, Owen and Sara are taking their naps in the nursery." Maureen informed me, getting her coat and walking out the door. I nodded and felt Mark wrap his arms around me.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I will be. I just need some time alone." I told him, going to our room and closing the door. I didn't mean to sound rude, but I just wanted some time to myself.

I couldn't believe that I had HIV – just like Mimi, Angel, Collins and Roger. Mimi had passed away the week before, so that was hard on all of us, especially Mark and I. I sobbed into my pillow, knowing sooner or later, the virus would take hold of my immune system and there would be nothing that I could do.

"Mar? May I come in?" Mark asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah." I answered, brushing the tears out of my eyes. He sat next to me on the bed and held me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back and whispered soothing words in my ear.

A moment later, I broke away from him and went to the phone. I called Kris, Joanne and Maureen. I got their answering machines, so I left them a message to meet Sara and I at the Life Café in half an hour. I then walked back to the room and changed my clothes – I put on a yellow T-shirt that said 'I Heart Geeks' in red block letters (Mark had gotten it for me for our anniversary) and blue jeans. I then went to the bathroom to brush my hair and teeth. While I did all that, Mark went to check on the twins to see how they were doing.

"Mar? What are you doing, babe?" Mark called from the nursery.

"I'm getting the girls together to tell them about my doctor's appointment." I told him, coming out of the bathroom and joining him in the nursery. He was changing Sara while Owen still slept. I smiled and gathered my son in my arms. At birth, he weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces and was twenty inches long. He now weighs 10 pounds, 5 ounces and is thirty inches long.

"You're a big boy, aren't you?" I told him, tickling his tummy. He cooed happily as I continued to talk to him in baby talk. Just then, the phone rang. Setting Owen down, I went to answer it.

"Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Hey Mary. I just got your message and is it okay if I bring April with me?" Kris asked.

"Sure. I'm bringing Sara with me anyway." I told her.

"Great. Oh, guess what?"

"What?"

"I'm pregnant again!"

"Congrats Kris! I bet Justin's happy."

"He's thrilled."

"I bet. How far along are you?"

"Second month."

"You're gonna be a great mom, Kris. Of course, you have April, so I know that for a fact." I just loved to tease her.

"Very funny, Mar." she said sarcastically. I laughed at that.

"See you in half an hour."

"Sounds good. Can't wait to see Sara."

"She's getting bigger each time you see her."

"Okay, Justin needs me, so I'm gonna go."

"Okay. See ya at the Life."

"Bye Mar! See you soon!"

"Bye Kris! Congrats again."

"Thanks." With that, she hung up. I hung the phone up and went to the nursery. Mark had Sara dressed in a pink T-shirt with a picture of a white horse on it and baby blue jeans. On her feet, were white tennis shoes.

"Mark! She looks adorable." I told him, taking Sara from him and putting her in her carrier.

"Thanks." He kissed my cheek and playfully tugged my ponytail. I laughed and headed out the door of the loft.

"Is it okay if I invite Justin over? We can have a guys day in since you're going out with the girls." Mark pointed out.

"Sure. That's fine, babe." I told him, blowing him a kiss and walking out the door.

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Sara and I were the first ones to arrive at the Life. The hostess led us to a booth in the back of the restaurant and handed me a menu.

I heard the bell above the door jingle and saw three figures walk in. I smiled and stood up, waving my hands in the air to get their attention.

"Hey Mary! Hi Aunt Mary!" Joanne, Maureen, Kris and April chorused. I greeted each of them and got Sara out of her carrier so that they could take turns holding her.

Joanne and Maureen sat across from me as Kris and April sat next to me. There was a wooden high chair nearby, so I put Sara in that so we could look at her while we ate. The waiter came, took drink orders and brought the drinks to us.

"So, Mary, where are the boys?" Maureen asked, looking around.

"Actually, Maureen, I wanted to tell you girls first before I told the boys – I mean boy. Mark already knows." I answered, taking a sip of my water.

"How did your appointment go?" Joanne asked. I told them what happened and that now all of us – Mark, Owen, Sara and I – had HIV.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry." Joanne told me, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand lightly. I squeezed her hand for a bit and wiped the tears out of my eyes.

"That's awful!" Kris chimed in, digging in her purse for a tissue. She handed it to me and I dabbed my eyes with it.

"Are you gonna be okay Aunt Mary?" April asked. I looked at her and smiled. I really didn't know what to tell her.

"I should be, sweetie. As long as I take my AZT, I should be fine." I then went on to explain what AZT was in terms that a three-year-old would understand.

"Oh. Otay!" April said, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. I smiled at her – _that's gonna be Sara and Owen in three years – if they make it that long _I felt tears in my eyes as I thought about diseases that would harm my twins. Shaking my head, I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with my friends, knowing that they would stick by my side, no matter what happened.


	32. Epilogue Five Years Later

A/N: hey guys! it's Mimi (Roger Davis' Song of Glory) posting the FINAL chapter of this story. Thank you to all who reviewed and have put this story on favorite stories/story alert. That means so much to me.

A/N 2: also, a special thank you to Kait (rentislife0619) for helping me write this story. YOU ROCK GIRL!

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CHAPTER THIRTY TWO  
(chapter title – Epilogue – Five Years Later)

Five long years have gone by and here's what has happened:

Kris and Justin welcomed twins Alexander Nicholas and Adam Anthony into their family. Eight-year-old April loves being a big sister to both Alex and Adam.

Kris is now head DA in her firm, which is so exciting. Justin couldn't be happier for her.

As for Justin, he works at a hot sauce factory called Kick Ass Factory – the mascot is a loveable mule named Roger, named solely for his good friend.

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Joanne and Maureen adopted a five-year-old girl that they named Maria Angel Johnson-Jefferson. Rosie loved everyone – especially the younger kids. She has the loving personality of Angel and the wildness of Mimi – whose real name was also Maria, so the girls named Maria well.

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As for Mark and I – we're doing great. Mark's now the head of his own film company, which I'm so proud of him for.

I'm still working at Joe's Book Store and work part-time in the local library in the children's section.

Sara and Owen are five-years-old and attend kindergarten with Adam and Alex. They're doing okay – although we almost lost Sara to colic when she was four months old, but she's doing better now.

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_There's only now_  
_There's only here  
__Give into love or live in fear  
__No other path  
__No other way  
__No day but today_


End file.
